Wright Auction

Mosen are striking textiles that reflect several interesting cross cultural issues. Their precise origin is unclear but it is known that they were made in Mongolia and used in the Japanese tea ceremony as a floor or ground cover yet they appeal to a contemporary Western aesthetic. Felt, of which they are made, is an unwoven wool cloth that was considered both exotic and for summer use among Japanese. Mosen were often given as dowry or wedding gifts—their bold, graphic design seem prescient of Op Art in the West centuries later.