NORTHWEST CHINA, QING DYNASTY, 18TH/19TH CENTURY

Details

A NINGXIA CARPET
NORTHWEST CHINA, QING DYNASTY, 18TH/19TH CENTURY
Having polychrome bats on the rose and salmon wan-fret field within solid maize and dark brown borders
Approximately 10 ft. 8 in. x 6 ft. 7 in. (325 cm. x 201 cm.)

Provenance

Alice Boney, New York, 8 November 1982.
The Irving Collection, no. 827.

Special notice

Please note this lot will be moved to Christie’s Fine Art Storage Services (CFASS in Red Hook, Brooklyn) at 5pm on the last day of the sale. Lots may not be collected during the day of their move to Christie’s Fine Art Storage Services. Please consult the Lot Collection Notice for collection information. This sheet is available from the Bidder Registration staff, Purchaser Payments or the Packing Desk and will be sent with your invoice.

Lot Essay

Bat imagery is associated with auspiciousness in Chinese art dating back to the Han dynasty. The pronunciation of “bat” in Chinese is “fú”, the same as that of “blessing”, but there is also a poetic reference to their quick and fleeting appearance at dusk. Bats are also a symbol of longevity because of their habit of hanging upside down and staying motionless.

For a very similar rug with bats on a wan-fret field, please see Glanz der Himmelssöhne: Kaiserliche Teppiche aus China 1400-1750, London, 2005, pl. 44, p. 130.

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