Heritage and Knotting Tradition

The Tibetan tiger rug is one of the oldest motifs in Himalayan textile culture. For centuries, tiger rugs in this format were used in Tibetan monasteries and palaces as seats for high lamas during meditation, as covers for ceremonial columns, and as honour places for rulers and teachers. The tiger itself symbolises power, protective strength and spiritual vigilance — the embodiment of the awakened mind in Vajrayana Buddhism.

This piece is hand-knotted in the workshops of Kathmandu, Nepal, by experienced artisans in the Tibetan knotting tradition. We deliberately source hand-spun yarn from highland women in small villages who still master the older spinning techniques — a practice that has all but disappeared from the wider Nepalese rug industry. The slight irregularity in yarn thickness produced by hand-spinning gives the wool its characteristic depth, while the silk content lends the surface a luminous sheen that shifts with the light.

The material is a 50/50 blend of finest highland wool and pure silk. The wool gives body, resilience and a soft, plush hand; the silk gives lustre and a living play of light across the surface. The pile height is approximately 12 mm.

Colour and Composition

The field reads the Tibetan tiger as pure stripe pattern rather than a figurative animal: rows of stylised tiger stripes rendered as soft silver-grey chevrons — a rhythmic wave-and-hook movement — set against a vivid magenta-pink ground, the whole framed by a quiet silver-grey border on all four sides. The silk in the blend makes the grey stripes and border catch the light, so they shimmer pale and luminous against the saturated pink wool. The effect is graphic and almost Art-Deco in its rhythm — a contemporary, high-impact reading of an ancient motif.

Presence in the Room

At 180 × 90 cm (1.6 m²) this is the classical Tibetan Khaden format — a monastic sitting rug, ideal as an accent piece. Three contexts in which this pink-and-silver tiger reaches its full effect:

• Bedside or dressing room: the format and plush wool-silk pile make it a natural fit beside a bed or in a dressing room, where the pink and the silk sheen read as quiet luxury.
• Hallway or entrance accent: as a small statement piece, the vivid pink anchors a corridor or threshold space with bold, contemporary colour.
• Studio, yacht or boudoir: the silk lustre and compact format make it an ideal accent for a refined personal space — a study, a yacht cabin, a reading corner.

Bespoke Commissions

This design is part of our made-to-order Djoharian Design programme. Adjustable to your project:

• Size on request — any custom dimension
• Colour palette matched to Pantone or RAL specification, drawn from over 1,200 yarn shades
• Material — pure highland wool, or a wool-silk blend as here, or full silk
• Quality line — Naturals (60 kpsi) · Elegance (80) · Luxury (100) · Executive (150)
• 30 × 30 cm reference sample for sign-off before full production
• Lead time typically 4–6 months from order confirmation, depending on size

Details and personal consultation on our bespoke commissions page.

Specifications

Frequently Asked Questions

Responsible Sourcing · Label STEP

Djoharian is a Label STEP certified dealer for fair-trade knotted rugs — a commitment to dignified working conditions and against child labour in rug production. Visit the Label STEP entry for Djoharian Teppiche →

Djoharian — Since 1967

Founded in 1967, with roots in the Grand Carpet Bazaar of Tehran and more than five decades of experience in the international rug trade. Each piece is carefully selected, inspected and presented with the documentation a discerning buyer expects.

Service and Delivery

Every piece in the Djoharian Collection is expertly inspected in our atelier in Lohr am Main, professionally washed and shipped with a certificate of authenticity. Secure and fast worldwide shipping, fully insured, and personal consultation in our showroom or by video call.