SULTAN OF SILK
What Jim Thompson did for Thai silks by creating a network of weavers and selling their fabric overseas, Kesang Tashi has done for Tibetan rugs. Recognizing that Tibet's centuries-old tradition of rug weaving was disappearing, Tashi, a Tibetan trained as a banker in the U.S., returned home, located master weavers, helped them find apprentices, and created the InnerAsia Trading Company. Don?t expect any curative powers from his new Gangchen Collection, although they are inspired by illustrations in a highly prized traditional Tibetan medical treaties. But the designs - florals, wildlife, or geometrics all have a quality and beauty that is unparalleled. Tashi's rugs are woven from Changphel wool from Tibetan Highland sheep who graze at 15,000 feet. The wool is spun by hand; dyed in traditional deephued reds, yellows, and blues, and intricately hand-knotted.
About $66 per square foot; a 9-by-12 foot rug will be about $7,100.
InnerAsia Trading Company, 236 Fifth Ave., 212/532-2600
www.innerasiarugs.com
