Classical Chinese carpets are in the main attributed to the weaving centre of Ninghsia in Western China, which seems to have seen an expansion in the production and availability of its weavings after a military expedition to the area by the Kangxi Emperor, fourth Emperor of the Qing Dynasty, (1662-1722), in 1696-97, during which he asked to see carpets being woven and was presented with several examples.
6×7’6
Rare Qing Dynasty Chinese hand spun from natural wool and organic dyes.
The study of pre- 1800 Chinese carpets is a relatively recent discipline. Carpets from Persia, India and the Ottoman Empire were extensively traded from at least the late 15th century; their aesthetic and commercial value has been well understood by collectors since they first arrived in the West.
In contrast, the classical carpets of China were little known until the early 20th century, during the final years of the Qing dynasty, (1636–1912), when they began to appear on the international market. The rug scholar, Arthur Urbane Dilley wrote “The advent of Chinese rugs in America was as dramatic as their quick capture of popular approbation. As if the art arrived from another planet, The American Art Association announced the first sale of it in 1908”1. They were enthusiastically taken up by collectors such as Dilley himself, Louis Tiffany, J K Mumford, Frederick Moore, T B Clarke and the patron of modern art and literature, and collector, Scofield Thayer, whose dais carpet is included in this sale (lot 89). As calculated by Michael Franses 2 some 1,650 ‘antique’ Chinese carpets had been offered across 15 auction sales in New York by 1920, when the sales effectively ceased, as the sources of these pieces dried up. Illustrated examples in the American Art Association catalogues show many pieces in pristine condition, but the depredations of time and use have had their effect. Franses 3 suggests fewer than six hundred classical Chinese carpets survive today with the Palace Museum in Beijing having the largest collection, of something less than one hundred, mainly examples from the reign of The Wanli Emperor, fourteenth Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, (1573-1619). In addition there are ‘some sixteen rugs’3 in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and a similar quantity in the Textile Museum in Washington, mainly from the collection of George Hewitt Myers, with the majority of the remainder held in private collections In Europe and the United States.
Classical Chinese carpets are in the main attributed to the weaving centre of Ninghsia in Western China, which seems to have seen an expansion in the production and availability of its weavings after a military expedition to the area by the Kangxi Emperor, fourth Emperor of the Qing Dynasty, (1662-1722), in 1696-97, during which he asked to see carpets being woven and was presented with several examples.4 Carpets were clearly highly prized as prestigious possessions: virtually all the portraits of the Ming and Qing emperors include depictions of carpets, see König. H. & Franses. M, 2005,5 pp. 19-23, pp.33, 39 for examples. Photographs of interiors of the several halls in the Forbidden City, dating from circa 1900, show how carpets were still being displayed in the palace by that date, see König. H. & Franses. M., ibid, pp.24-25. Carpets were used on raised platforms (dais), on beds, kang, as chair, bench, table and saddle covers, to define areas of importance, provide warmth and comfort, and through their motifs and decoration, create a harmonious aesthetic which integrated their symbolism with the other Chinese works of art with which the royal household, their courtiers and officials surrounded themselves.
6×7’6
Rugs & More of Santa Barbara provides California and the West Coast with the most comprehensive collection of new and antique oriental rugs, modern carpets and contemporary floor covering. Furthermore, For three generations, Rugs & More has become the most trusted and reliable source for rugs and floor coverings for home decor.
Voted best rug store of Santa Barbara, California for 25 years!
Any type of area Rugs, Antique Rugs, Vintage Rugs, Modern Rugs, Traditional Rugs, Transitional Rug, Contemporary Rugs, Tapestries and wall hangings, Shag Rugs, Woven Rugs, Flat Rugs, Hand Braided, Hand Woven, Hand Hooked – we offer them all! We help you to roll out the decorating groundwork in each room with one or more of our rugs! Our rugs are only of the highest quality.
Shapes: we carry all shapes and sizes. Round, Square, Rectangular, Oval, and Custom Sizes. Furthermore, We offer the following Services at Rugs and More: Stain Removal; Rug Washing; Rug Repair and Restoration; Surging; Binding; Re-sizing; Rug Appraisals; and Rug Installation.
Materials: we have silk, cotton, wool, blended, synthetic, outdoor, leather, and fur rugs!
Colors: we can customize the rug to the colors you need to make your home the style and comfort that you are looking for with your home decor.
We have rug pads that we can size for under any rug, which extend the life of your rugs and protect your floors.
Rugs & more/ Santa Barbara Design Center
Visit us at 410 Olive Street. Santa Barbara, CA. 93101
(805) 962-2166
| Size |
|---|
8’5×11’7
Chinese Art Deco Rugs were produced from the 1910’s to the 1940’s. Prior to the 1920’s, during the experimental stages of production, the design and color remained similar to classical antique carpets from China
A very rare antique Peking rug. Rugs of this size are not common and this one has a beautiful color combo and pleasant design to lend to the furnishing of any room.
8’7 x 9’9
Lovely panel of beautiful antique/vintage Chinese silk embroidery, hand worked entirely in expertly done intricate Forbidden Stitches.
Size: 8in x 21in
Chinese Peking Rugs were produced from the 1910’s to the 1940’s. Prior to the 1920’s, during the experimental stages of production, the design and color remained similar to classical antique carpets from China
