NINGXIA, NORTH CHINA, KANGXI PERIOD, LAST QUARTER 17TH CENTURY

The reign of the Kangxi Emperor (1662-1722) was a period of great achievement for all the arts, and carpets woven during this period are celebrated for their harmony and proportion both in coloration and size. Woven for both the Imperial court and nobility, Qing dynasty rugs and carpets were often made for a specific place or function. Based on its proportions, the present carpet was most likely made as a daybed cover that would have been typically reserved for an important guest. The fact that it was positioned on a specific platform meant that it was not widely walked upon, which in turn helped preserve its condition.

The details of the dragons are very precisely drawn and the eyes are highlighted in light blue. The inner stripe separating the field and the border has a blue key-meander pattern on a yellow background, which changes its direction in the center of each end border, but on the sides at the height of a pair of bats. The outer border shows a blue swastika-meander that changes direction at each end but not on the sides. This border is separated from the corroded dark brown-grey frame by narrow blue, light blue and beige guard stripes, the latter being relatively wide. As is always the case in early Chinese rugs, the design composed of just a few ornaments only appears simple at first glance.