PROBABLY BEIJING, NORTH CHINA, CIRCA 1910

The five Chinese characters within the upper, plain indigo outer stripe read: Wanshou shan Quanjing, which refers to the panoramic view of the Longevity Hill within the grounds of the Summer Palace.

Situated in the Haidian District, north west of Beijing, the Summer Palace was originally known as the 'Garden of Clear Ripples' and was used as the pleasure garden for the Chinese royal family. Building began in 1750 by Emperor Qianlong to celebrate the 60th birthday of his mother, the Empress Dowager Chongqing. Sadly it was twice looted, first in 1860 by the British and French troops following the end of the Second Opium War, and once again in 1900 by the Eight-Nation Alliance towards the end of the Boxer Rebellion. It was not until 1914 that it opened its doors to the public and in 1998 was included on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The design of the present carpet is a relatively accurate depiction of the Longevity Hill, which is crowned by the Tower of Buddhist Incense atop its twenty-metre-high stone base. In the foreground one can see the Kunming Lake, a man-made construction covering over five hundred acres. To the left-hand side of the lake is the Stone Boat, rebuilt in 1860 out of marble, and in the centre, is the Seventeen-Arch Bridge leading to Nanhu Island. It is unusual to find such topographical observations within a carpet design rather than the more frequently encountered configurations of dragons or overall floral or geometric designs and it is probable that the weaver was greatly inspired by the medium of Chinese scroll paintings. A carpet that depicts a counterposed pavilion set amongst the Hanging Garden of the mythical Kunlun Mountain, is illustrated in Il Drago e il Fiore d’Oro, exhibition catalogue, Museo d’Arte Orientale, Turin, 2015, pl.XXX, p.129. A number of auspicious symbols are depicted around the pale lemon-yellow border of the present carpet, which include the 'Wheel' and 'Vase' from the Eight Buddhist Symbols and the 'Chessboard' and 'Books' from the Four Gentlemanly Accomplishments (E. Gans-Ruedin, Chinese Carpets, Tokyo, New York & San Francisco, 1981, p.29). Two carpets of the same design have appeared at auction at Christie's, one in London 27 April 2017, lot 202, and another of slightly smaller proportions at Christie's Paris on 12 June 2019, lot 97, purchased from the Mikaeloff Gallery in 1974.