The Tiger Rugs of Tibet.

Sewn as issued, pictorial wrappers with flaps. Very fine. London, Hayward Gallery, 1988. 4to. 30 x 23 cms. 192 pp. With 108 colour plates and 50 illustrations. Published on the Occasion of the exhibition "The Tiger Rugs of Tibet", at the Hayward Gallery, South Bank Centre, London, 29 September to 4 December 1988. - - - "Until 1970, Tibet remained an enigma to the western world. But with China's opening of the borders, there has been an enormous upsurge of interest in this land of the Snows; its arts and crafts, its unique form of Buddhism and its fascinating people. This is the first book devoted to a previously unexplored aspect of Tibet - its Tiger Rugs. Owned only by the Tibetan élite, who used them both to sit on and to cover their luggage on long Journeys, Tiger Rugs are very rare - there are possibly fewer than two hundred in existence - and their history and usage are still shrouded in mystery. Yet the diversity, creativity and modernity of their designs are astonishing, their beauty a source of wonder and inspiration. Here are 108 of them (the number being auspicious in Tibet), illustrated in full colour and accompanied by four diverting texts. Philip Goldman's contribution concerns itself with aspects of the socio-cultural relevance of the collection. Cyril Barrett analyses the visual aspects of the designs of Tiger Rugs, Jim and Barbara Ford examine the place of the collection in carpet art and Tom Phillips recounts his recent discovery of the world of Tiger Rugs. The Tiger Rugs of Tibet will intrigue and surprise all those who are interested in Tibetan culture and Buddhism, as well as carpet and textile specialists, artists and designers".…