History of tibetan rugs in Nepal.

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History of Tibetan rug making in Nepal...

Rug weaving in Nepal was originally started by the Tibetan refugees. Due to the political upheaval in Tibet from 1959 through the early 60's, thousands of Tibetans settled in the Kathmandu Valley after having made the long trek through the Himalayan Mountains. For centuries, Tibetans have been weaving and using rugs as bedding, saddle blankets and meditation mats in monasteries. As a means to making a living in a new land, we Tibetans received the support of the Swiss government and began a cottage industry of rug weaving. The rest is history.

This industry was intended to sell rugs to the growing tourist trade in Nepal. During this period, most of the rugs produced were traditional designs in small sizes. The rug trade has come a long way since then, now this is the largest exported product of Nepal.

In the late 70's, floor-covering buyers from Germany came to Nepal and began purchasing plain field (border only) designs in larger sizes. within a short period, the German market became the hub of distribution throughout Europe. Due to the high demand of European buyers during the 1980's, Tibetan rug production in Nepal became the nation's leading industry. During this time, a few American importers began the importation of Tibetan rugs made in Nepal, with specific design and coloration ideas for the American decorative market. To this day, Tibetan rugs have become a leading commodity, within the hand-made floor covering market, in both Europe and North America and continue to grow in popularity internationally.

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