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tkctibetan
karma carpets
are in exclusive contract with the
Tibetan Settlement Government in Exile. As such, we can assure the customer that our
carpets are made by Tibetan people in order to support their community. This is also
an assurance that our carpets are woven with the utmost standards of quality and
integrity.
In an effort to reduce dependence on international relief, it
was thought to capitalize on the skills of the refugees who used to weave carpets in Tibet
prior to their arrival in Nepal in 1959. Knowing the availability of such skilled weavers,
the International Committee of Red Cross and the Swiss Association for Technical
Assistance (now called the Swiss Development Corporation) jointly established the
Jawalakhel Handicraft Center with whom we work. Since 1960, the Handicraft Center has
provided employment for the Tibetan people with the kind cooperation of His Majesty’s
Government of Nepal. |
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Tibetan Karma Carpets,
with our Handicraft Center, guarantees the following policies and features:
- Policy against child labor.
- Usage of 100% pure sheep wool.
- Usage of the best quality dye stuffs.
- Use of highly skilled and experienced
carpet weavers.
- A high concern for the workers. The
proceeds of the income is utilized for basic health care, children’s education,
housing and welfare incentives and so on.
- An excellent reputation for continued
contribution in the field of carpet business and foreign exchange earnings to His
Majesty’s Government of Nepal for the last 40 years and has been the prestigious
award winner of excellence from The Central Carpet Industries Association of Nepal
conferred to this company through the noble hands of the Prime Minister of Nepal.
The aims and objectives of Tibetan
Karma Carpets and the Handicraft Center are as posted:
- To preserve and promote rich
traditional Tibetan handicrafts and arts.
- To provide employment to Tibetan
people to sustain their livelihood.
- To help Tibetan children receive
their education.
- To provide basic healthcare and
sanitation to the Tibetan community.
- To provide genuine service to
the Tibetan community in social work.
- To take care of the old, needy,
destitute and physically handicapped.
- To provide guidance to the
Tibetan people, assist and abide by the rules and regulations of Nepal, and live in
friendship and harmony with local Nepalese people.
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tkc
can provide carpets in
three categories: 100 knots (per inch), 80 knots, and 60 knots. The greater number of
knots can produce a proportionately more elaborate design. The 100 knot carpets will
be woven using 100% Tibetan sheep wool. The Tibetan wool, more expensive to produce, is
durable and spun into a finer yarn. The 80 and 60 knot carpets are woven with yarns in a
blend of Tibetan and New Zealand wool, which can provide a brighter palette of colors.
The traditional Tibetan designs follow one of the most
ancient and exotic crafts from Tibet. This skill was developed in the 7th
century by East Turkestan and Mongolian nomads. It provides a wide range of designs and
color combinations, maintaining their fine appearance after many years of use. Every
single motif has a special traditional meaning and signifies blessing such as power,
prosperity and good luck, etc., to the user. Specifics on the symbols used in the carpets
that we offer can be found in the individual showrooms.
The
Handicraft Center in Katmandu, Nepal
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How your carpet is made...
Pasang Chogyal has been working in the
graph section for four years. Dechen Tsomo from the showroom is seen here coordinating. |
After you have selected the style, color and size of your Tibetan Karma Carpet, a
full-size, color template will be drafted in the graph section.The process of preparing the materials for your carpet has, by this
time, long begun. The wool is sheared from Tibetan highland sheep which are indigenous to
the Himalayan region. The wool must be cleaned, combed and sorted by hand. New
Zealand wool is imported pre-cleaned and sorted and blended with Tibetan wool as
specified.
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| After the sorted wool is combed, it must be spun into yarn.
This is a task performed by elder Tibetans. In this way, they remain socially active
and continue to make a vital contribution to their community. Many of these spinners
were once carpet weavers, but weaving requires better eyesight and manual dexterity. |
Tashi Tsering and Tsering Sangmo
are a husband and wife spinning team
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Tsering Chodon is Spinning Master.
She oversees quality control in the spinning section |
The spun wool is sent offsite to be dyed and comes back on
large racks from which it must be wound into balls of yarn. Winding is done by the eldest
members who wish to keep contributing. It only requires three to four hours of work
a day. The wound balls of yarn are then inventoried by color and gauge until they are to
be used in a carpet.
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Richoe Dolma has been
winding for 10 years |
Raw, uncombed Tibetan wool |
A basket of spun Tibetan wool |
Dyed and wound wool |
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Weaving
Tsering Tsomo has been
weaving carpets for 18 years
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The chrysanthemum flower, a sign
of autumn which symbolizes joviality, is drawn on graph paper
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Beside the ladies in the weaving section sit baskets of
yarn in your color choices. The design that you choose is hand-knotted in a
centuries-old, uniquely Tibetan manner.
The Tibetan method of weaving is distinct by virtue of
wrapping a continuous length of yarn over a metal rod laid across each row of pile on the
loom. Once the rod has been wrapped, the yarn is cut, thereby producing two rows of
pile. |
A metal rod is wrapped with one
continuous length of yarn which is then cut to produce a thick, pile tuft . Uniquely
Tibetan... |
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| As the ladies weave a carpet, they refer to the template
that has been made for that design. The color codes which correspond to the
appropriate shade of yarn are indicated on the graph. The
number of weavers depends upon the size of the carpet. Anywhere from one to five weavers
will work on a single carpet at the same time. Sitting side by side, the weavers
will converse, laugh and even sing songs while working. |
The weaving section
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Nyima, Sonam and Yangzom working
side by side |
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The weavers follow a nine to five work schedule. They
are provided at least an hour for lunch so that they can go home to be with their
families. They also are given frequent tea breaks, during which they may pray at the
settlement temple. Saturday is their holy day for rest. All of the workers in the Handicraft Center are able to live within
the settlement compound, thereby being close to their children's schools and their homes. |
Finishing
Once the weaving is completed, a final inspection is made and finishing touches are added
to ensure a carpet of the highest quality.The carpet is turned over and each knot is individually pressed to provide
a smooth, uniform finish on the backside.
The carpet pile is then clipped by hand so that
the carpet surface is even and smooth.
The design is then trimmed by cutting the outlines of each
color to give the pattern relief. If you would like your carpet to be simply flat,
you may specify an untrimmed carpet at the time you place your order. |
Finishing the underside of a
carpet |
Trimming presents the carpet
design in relief and makes it really stand out |
Washing a carpet outside the
Handicraft Center
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All carpets are then washed (unless specified otherwise by
the customer). Afterward, they are dried in the open air. Once these many steps have
been accomplished, your carpet is ready for shipment. Your
carpet will be wrapped in several sheets of thick plastic to protect it from the elements
during shipping, and then in sturdy burlap. We guarantee that it will arrive at your door
undamaged and ready to add warmth and beauty to your home for generations to come. |
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