Catriona Stewart reports: Contemporary rug designer/maker Christopher Farr is currently hosting an exhibition, 'Inspired Compassion: Buddhist Art from Tibet', at his courtyard gallery in Los Angeles. The show, which opened in November 2004, is in conjunction with London Asian art dealers Rossi and Rossi, Ltd. and features forty ancient Tibetan artefacts, including several handwoven rugs.
The star piece in the display is a striking tiger skin design rug made in the early 20th century. It has a powerful pattern with subtly irregular dark charcoal geometric stripes, on a stunning vibrant orange field. It would have been used for meditation with the design symbolising the wild animal's strength, (the sitter subduing it), or, in a secular setting, as a symbol of power and importance.
From the same period were two attractive, hand-knotted saddle covers with natural dyes. One has a rich red ground, the other being dark indigo; each has regular multicoloured geometric patterns of squares and crosses.
Also very eye-catching were two rugs with geometric patterns, one from the first quarter of the 20th century, with an indigo and beige chequerboard design. The other is a brighter chrome dyed rug and a good example of a rug from the second quarter of the 20th century, with a "fifties" pattern of multicoloured crosses and squares on a beige ground.
The exhibition ends on 14 December 2004. For more information please visit www.asianart.com/rossi/
Inspired Compassion: Buddhist Art from Tibet
Christopher Farr USA Inc
Courtyard Gallery
748 N. La Cienega Blvd.
Los Angeles
CA 90069
USA
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