This piece comes from Srinagar, in Kashmir, northern India. The highly ornate, hand-knotted, oriental carpets are traditionally seen throughout all homes in Kashmir, and according to local folklore, a home is not complete without a soul, this soul being the carpet. Kashmir rugs are renowned to have bright, jewel-like colour tones such as sapphire blue, ruby red, emerald green, aquamarine, amethyst, and ivory. Rugs from Kashmir are traditionally made in oriental, floral designs that typically involve the significant and culturally important motifs such as the paisley, chinar tree, (the oriental plane) and tree-of-life. Most of these designs are rooted in the Kashmiri way of life and are a symbolic representation of the age-old Kashmir tradition of hospitality, warmth, and love.