18TH CENTURY

Chinese carpets featuring Buddhist lions emerged in the early seventeenth century. These early examples are clearly drawn and embody the fierce and protective nature of these stylized beasts. As time went on, these Buddhist lions developed features of the Pekinese dog, popular as pets in the palace, which were deliberately bred to reproduce the imaginative characteristics of the semi-mythological lion. By the eighteen century, Buddhist lions were depicted on carpets in a more stylized manner, and are often shown circling around a coin in a medallion (see, M. Franses, H. Konig, and Hwee Lie The, Lion-dogs, Hundred Antiques, Classical Chinese Carpets I, London, 2000, pp.19-23).

Eighteenth century carpets featuring Buddhist lions are incredibly rare. According to M. Franses, there are only eight examples that can be attributed to the first half of the eighteenth century- which has now been increased to nine since the emergence of the Eyrie-Rockefeller Buddhist lion carpet, which sold at Christie’s New York, 10 May 2018, lot 992- and approximately forty examples which are attributed to the second half of the eighteenth century.

For a related carpet, referred to as a ‘platform cover,’ featuring similarly rendered Buddhist lions in the center and of similar size and proportions, see an example illustrated in ibid., pp. 48-9, pl. 25. Another related eighteenth-century carpet, of narrower proportions and possibly for use as a daybed cover, was sold at Christie’s New York, 13 April 2017, lot 224.