This circa-1930 vintage Samarkand rug features a central medallion of a circular shape outlined in thick muted orange with floral patterns, surrounded by linear and geometric abstractions in the same shade against a field of medium gray. The vintage oriental carpets from Kashgar, Yarkand, and Khotan in the Chinese occupied autonomous region of Sinkiang are collectively known as Samarkand – 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. Vintage oriental rugs from this region are typically rendered in glossy wool, occasionally embellished with richly brocaded silk and metal thread. Unlike Persian antique area rugs with their reds and blues, Samarkand carpets have soft colors with startling additions: magenta with acid green, peachy beige with brown, saffron yellow with lacquer red, bone with brown or slate blue.