Thomas Wild is an independent researcher, collector and dealer of rugs and textiles with an emphasis on East Central Asian carpets. Through field research in Central Tibet and its comparison with historical sources, he has a particular focus on rugs from Central Tibet.
Though few in number, and often in fragmentary form, there are enough surviving examples of large... more Though few in number, and often in fragmentary form, there are enough surviving examples of large-scale early Tibetan court carpets to form a significant group.
If mentioned at all, Tibetan rugs have been regarded as existing outside the main traditions of c... more If mentioned at all, Tibetan rugs have been regarded as existing outside the main traditions of carpet weaving. Thomas Wild argues that, although they have a distinct identity, they can provide an important piece in the jigsaw of textile history. With the help of travelogues and early photographic evidence he offers the most complete possible account of manufacture in this region.
A Tibetan pile fragment has yielded a secure radiocarbon date that takes the story of long-piled ... more A Tibetan pile fragment has yielded a secure radiocarbon date that takes the story of long-piled monastic rugs back at least 350 or more years, confirming that the tradition is significantly older than has been widely supposed.
The author´s initial interest in East Turkestan carpets was further aroused by his discovery of t... more The author´s initial interest in East Turkestan carpets was further aroused by his discovery of the work of Hans Bidder. A chance meeting with the Bidder heirs offered the opportunity to follow his adventures in collecting and researching for his book "Carpets of Eastern Turkestan".
This is the English version of the German "Erhard, F.X. and T. Wild 2021. Drumze: Metamorphosen d... more This is the English version of the German "Erhard, F.X. and T. Wild 2021. Drumze: Metamorphosen des tibetischen Teppichs. Potsadam: edition tethys."
Our understanding of Tibetan carpets has increasingly taken shape in recent years. For the Western world, or perhaps better: for the Western market, Tibetan carpets
were discovered only towards the end of the 19th century. This was due not only to the geographical but certainly to the political inaccessibility of the Tibetan highlands for Western travellers. It was not until the end of the 19th century that Tibet was gradually “discovered” by explorers, missionaries, and adventurers. Eventually, in 1904, the British forcibly opened Tibet to Western interests. The so-called Younghusband
expedition caused an international sensation, not least because it marched into Tibet under the eyes of the international press.
Tibet was no longer a terra incognita for educated circles in Europe. Nevertheless, it is surprising that a Tibetan carpet found its way into the expressionist avant-garde of Berlin as early as 1910 and into Else Lasker-Schüler’s poem quoted above. The eccentric poet must have had a fondness for Tibet and the 13th Dalai Lama, for she referred to her patron, the Austrian writer and publicist Karl Kraus, as the “Dalai Lama,”
and her poem “An Old Tibetan Carpet” is certainly the first mention of such a carpet in German literature.
The poem also resonates with the mythical image of Tibet, the unknown, inaccessible land where Buddhist lamas guard undreamed-of treasures. And indeed, this impression of archaic exoticism and strangeness still accounts for a large part of the fascination with Tibetan carpets today.
We attempt to describe the Tibetan carpet, its origins, adaptations, and metamorphoses over time with this essay. We are less interested in the unique, exceptional pieces; instead, we want to understand the evolution of Tibetan carpets and what made this archaic technique on a primitive loom a worldwide success.
Franz Xaver Erhard und Thomas Wild. 2021. Drumze. Metamorphosen des tibetischen Teppichs. Edition... more Franz Xaver Erhard und Thomas Wild. 2021. Drumze. Metamorphosen des tibetischen Teppichs. Edition Tethys: Potsdam (ISBN 9783942527132)
This German-language edition of the catalogue to the exhibition on the evolution of Tibetan carpets held in the Teppichmuseum of Schloß Voigtsberg in Oelsnitz/ Vogtland in Germany retraces historical developments of the craft from the earliest examples datable to the 15th to 17th century to the newest designer carpets from 2021.
Though few in number, and often in fragmentary form, there are enough surviving examples of large... more Though few in number, and often in fragmentary form, there are enough surviving examples of large-scale early Tibetan court carpets to form a significant group.
If mentioned at all, Tibetan rugs have been regarded as existing outside the main traditions of c... more If mentioned at all, Tibetan rugs have been regarded as existing outside the main traditions of carpet weaving. Thomas Wild argues that, although they have a distinct identity, they can provide an important piece in the jigsaw of textile history. With the help of travelogues and early photographic evidence he offers the most complete possible account of manufacture in this region.
A Tibetan pile fragment has yielded a secure radiocarbon date that takes the story of long-piled ... more A Tibetan pile fragment has yielded a secure radiocarbon date that takes the story of long-piled monastic rugs back at least 350 or more years, confirming that the tradition is significantly older than has been widely supposed.
The author´s initial interest in East Turkestan carpets was further aroused by his discovery of t... more The author´s initial interest in East Turkestan carpets was further aroused by his discovery of the work of Hans Bidder. A chance meeting with the Bidder heirs offered the opportunity to follow his adventures in collecting and researching for his book "Carpets of Eastern Turkestan".
This is the English version of the German "Erhard, F.X. and T. Wild 2021. Drumze: Metamorphosen d... more This is the English version of the German "Erhard, F.X. and T. Wild 2021. Drumze: Metamorphosen des tibetischen Teppichs. Potsadam: edition tethys."
Our understanding of Tibetan carpets has increasingly taken shape in recent years. For the Western world, or perhaps better: for the Western market, Tibetan carpets
were discovered only towards the end of the 19th century. This was due not only to the geographical but certainly to the political inaccessibility of the Tibetan highlands for Western travellers. It was not until the end of the 19th century that Tibet was gradually “discovered” by explorers, missionaries, and adventurers. Eventually, in 1904, the British forcibly opened Tibet to Western interests. The so-called Younghusband
expedition caused an international sensation, not least because it marched into Tibet under the eyes of the international press.
Tibet was no longer a terra incognita for educated circles in Europe. Nevertheless, it is surprising that a Tibetan carpet found its way into the expressionist avant-garde of Berlin as early as 1910 and into Else Lasker-Schüler’s poem quoted above. The eccentric poet must have had a fondness for Tibet and the 13th Dalai Lama, for she referred to her patron, the Austrian writer and publicist Karl Kraus, as the “Dalai Lama,”
and her poem “An Old Tibetan Carpet” is certainly the first mention of such a carpet in German literature.
The poem also resonates with the mythical image of Tibet, the unknown, inaccessible land where Buddhist lamas guard undreamed-of treasures. And indeed, this impression of archaic exoticism and strangeness still accounts for a large part of the fascination with Tibetan carpets today.
We attempt to describe the Tibetan carpet, its origins, adaptations, and metamorphoses over time with this essay. We are less interested in the unique, exceptional pieces; instead, we want to understand the evolution of Tibetan carpets and what made this archaic technique on a primitive loom a worldwide success.
Franz Xaver Erhard und Thomas Wild. 2021. Drumze. Metamorphosen des tibetischen Teppichs. Edition... more Franz Xaver Erhard und Thomas Wild. 2021. Drumze. Metamorphosen des tibetischen Teppichs. Edition Tethys: Potsdam (ISBN 9783942527132)
This German-language edition of the catalogue to the exhibition on the evolution of Tibetan carpets held in the Teppichmuseum of Schloß Voigtsberg in Oelsnitz/ Vogtland in Germany retraces historical developments of the craft from the earliest examples datable to the 15th to 17th century to the newest designer carpets from 2021.
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Our understanding of Tibetan carpets has increasingly taken shape in recent years. For the Western world, or perhaps better: for the Western market, Tibetan carpets
were discovered only towards the end of the 19th century. This was due not only to the geographical but certainly to the political inaccessibility of the Tibetan highlands for Western travellers. It was not until the end of the 19th century that Tibet was gradually “discovered” by explorers, missionaries, and adventurers. Eventually, in 1904, the British forcibly opened Tibet to Western interests. The so-called Younghusband
expedition caused an international sensation, not least because it marched into Tibet under the eyes of the international press.
Tibet was no longer a terra incognita for educated circles in Europe. Nevertheless, it is surprising that a Tibetan carpet found its way into the expressionist avant-garde of Berlin as early as 1910 and into Else Lasker-Schüler’s poem quoted above. The eccentric poet must have had a fondness for Tibet and the 13th Dalai Lama, for she referred to her patron, the Austrian writer and publicist Karl Kraus, as the “Dalai Lama,”
and her poem “An Old Tibetan Carpet” is certainly the first mention of such a carpet in German literature.
The poem also resonates with the mythical image of Tibet, the unknown, inaccessible land where Buddhist lamas guard undreamed-of treasures. And indeed, this impression of archaic exoticism and strangeness still accounts for a large part of the fascination with Tibetan carpets today.
We attempt to describe the Tibetan carpet, its origins, adaptations, and metamorphoses over time with this essay. We are less interested in the unique, exceptional pieces; instead, we want to understand the evolution of Tibetan carpets and what made this archaic technique on a primitive loom a worldwide success.
This German-language edition of the catalogue to the exhibition on the evolution of Tibetan carpets held in the Teppichmuseum of Schloß Voigtsberg in Oelsnitz/ Vogtland in Germany retraces historical developments of the craft from the earliest examples datable to the 15th to 17th century to the newest designer carpets from 2021.
For a review by Michael Buddeberg, see http://www.preetoriusstiftung.de/?p=2936.
Our understanding of Tibetan carpets has increasingly taken shape in recent years. For the Western world, or perhaps better: for the Western market, Tibetan carpets
were discovered only towards the end of the 19th century. This was due not only to the geographical but certainly to the political inaccessibility of the Tibetan highlands for Western travellers. It was not until the end of the 19th century that Tibet was gradually “discovered” by explorers, missionaries, and adventurers. Eventually, in 1904, the British forcibly opened Tibet to Western interests. The so-called Younghusband
expedition caused an international sensation, not least because it marched into Tibet under the eyes of the international press.
Tibet was no longer a terra incognita for educated circles in Europe. Nevertheless, it is surprising that a Tibetan carpet found its way into the expressionist avant-garde of Berlin as early as 1910 and into Else Lasker-Schüler’s poem quoted above. The eccentric poet must have had a fondness for Tibet and the 13th Dalai Lama, for she referred to her patron, the Austrian writer and publicist Karl Kraus, as the “Dalai Lama,”
and her poem “An Old Tibetan Carpet” is certainly the first mention of such a carpet in German literature.
The poem also resonates with the mythical image of Tibet, the unknown, inaccessible land where Buddhist lamas guard undreamed-of treasures. And indeed, this impression of archaic exoticism and strangeness still accounts for a large part of the fascination with Tibetan carpets today.
We attempt to describe the Tibetan carpet, its origins, adaptations, and metamorphoses over time with this essay. We are less interested in the unique, exceptional pieces; instead, we want to understand the evolution of Tibetan carpets and what made this archaic technique on a primitive loom a worldwide success.
This German-language edition of the catalogue to the exhibition on the evolution of Tibetan carpets held in the Teppichmuseum of Schloß Voigtsberg in Oelsnitz/ Vogtland in Germany retraces historical developments of the craft from the earliest examples datable to the 15th to 17th century to the newest designer carpets from 2021.
For a review by Michael Buddeberg, see http://www.preetoriusstiftung.de/?p=2936.