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The factory is just
south of Jinzhu Dong Lu ( Tsang Gyu
Shar Lam), near Tibet University. It
produces traditional Tibetan rugs
for export worldwide through
Guangzhou. Although the actual
weaving and finishing are done by
hand, using old-style vertical
looms, some stages of the process,
such as spinning, are now
mechanized, and the dyeing is not
done here. This factory is more
modern than either the one in
Gyantse or in Nedong. Traditionally,
Tibetan women are the weavers and
men the spinners, but today both
work on rugs.
The rugs are typically quite small,
with bold designs, bright colours
and a deep, even pile-about 60 knots
per square inch. Rug weaving is an
ancient craft in Tibet, but because
it was not for sacred use it was
never considered an art. As a
result, there are no rugs veritably
earlier than the 19th century.
Chemical dyes first appeared in
Central Asia around 1870 and are now
very widely used . Durable cotton
warps and wefts were introduced into
Tibet in the early 20th century.
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