Vintage Hand-Knotted Carpet BB5834 4'6" × 9'2" $9,000

This circa-1920 vintage Samarkand (Khotan) rug features a purple and green central roundel against a field of light yellow. Geometric corner brackets and an inner border consisting of repeating swastika patterns complete the look of the early 20th century vintage carpet. A common theme in Oriental Samarkand carpets, the swastika – usually seen in pieces from Buddhist cultures such as Khotan – denotes infinity.

The antique oriental rugs from Kashgar, Yarkand and Khotan in the Chinese occupied Autonomous Region of Sikiang are collectively known as Samarkands – lands of arid steppes, deserts and mountain ranges traversed for thousands of years by caravans of merchants and traders from China to Western Europe along the Silk Route. Rugs for sale from this region are typically rendered in a glossy wool, occasionally embellished with richly brocaded silk and metal-thread.