A NING-HSIA DRAGON PILLAR RUG

Details

A NING-HSIA DRAGON PILLAR RUG
WEST CHINA, MID 19TH CENTURY

The buff field scattered with clouds around the large entwined figure of a five-clawed dragon with flaming pearl, two bats and stylised waves below, a cusped upper border with pendant motifs and plain upper stripes above, slight loss to lower end, insect damage and repiling Approximately 13ft. x 2ft.7in. (396cm. x 79cm.)

Warp: white cotton Z4S, undulating
Weft: 2 shoots white cotton Z4, undulating
Pile: wool, Z2-4S, asymmetrical open to the left, H2.7 x V1.8/cm.
Sides: additional ivory wool yarn flat woven around two additional warps and sometimes including the outermost knotted warp, main weft passing around one of the additional warps
Upper end: 5:1 binding with white cotton Z1

Provenance

Acquired 9 August 1937 as a "Chines. Laufer"

Literature

Bernheimer, Otto: Alte Teppiche des 16.-18. Jahrhunderts der Firma L. Bernheimer, 1959, pl.102

Lot Essay

Rugs of this type were made to go around columns in Buddhist monasteries, hence the name pillar carpet. Although this was woven in the Ning-hsia province of China, it was probably intended for the Tibetan or Mongolian market.

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