Carpet
1920-1940 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
This rug is one of a pair with silk knotted pile and wrapped metallic threads. The inscription on this one, only partially legible on the upper edge, may indicate that it was designed to be used in the Palace of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City in Beijing.
Another series of rugs of a similar size and technique, each with a four- or five-character inscription assigning it to a particular hall of the imperial domain, is known outside China. It has been suggested that it dates to the reign of the Qianlong emperor (ruled 1736-1795). Another source has claimed that this group of rugs was made in the Street of the Embroiderers in Beijing in the 20th century, in which case an imperial connection seems unlikely.
Another series of rugs of a similar size and technique, each with a four- or five-character inscription assigning it to a particular hall of the imperial domain, is known outside China. It has been suggested that it dates to the reign of the Qianlong emperor (ruled 1736-1795). Another source has claimed that this group of rugs was made in the Street of the Embroiderers in Beijing in the 20th century, in which case an imperial connection seems unlikely.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Materials and techniques | Silk knotted pile with wrapped metallic threads |
Brief description | Rug, silk knotted pile with wrapped metallic threads, China, Republican period, 1920-1940 |
Physical description | Rug with a yellow ground and a stylised floral pattern with a key fret border in blue, white and red. Within the border is a four-corner design, each corner containing a Chinese lion and a central dragon medallion. The corners and medallion are worked in metallic threads in the weft-wrap weave technique known as soumak. The rest of the rug is of knotted silk pile. There is a short unread inscription woven into one end. |
Dimensions |
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Style | |
Gallery label | The only partially legible inscription on the upper edge of the rug indicates that it may have been designed to be used in the Palace of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City in Beijing. A series of rugs of this size and in this technique, each with a four or five character inscription assigning them to a particular hall of the Palace are known outside of China. It has been suggested that they may date to the reign of the Emperor Qianlong (1736-1795).
It has also been suggested that this group of rugs was made in the Street of the Embroiderers in Beijing this century in which case an imperial connection seems unlikely. This particular rug, and another similar one not on display, were the only textiles from the collection in use at Sir John's family home in Kent. |
Credit line | Addis Bequest |
Object history | Registered File number 1965/3344. |
Subjects depicted | |
Summary | This rug is one of a pair with silk knotted pile and wrapped metallic threads. The inscription on this one, only partially legible on the upper edge, may indicate that it was designed to be used in the Palace of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City in Beijing. Another series of rugs of a similar size and technique, each with a four- or five-character inscription assigning it to a particular hall of the imperial domain, is known outside China. It has been suggested that it dates to the reign of the Qianlong emperor (ruled 1736-1795). Another source has claimed that this group of rugs was made in the Street of the Embroiderers in Beijing in the 20th century, in which case an imperial connection seems unlikely. |
Associated objects |
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Bibliographic references |
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Collection | |
Accession number | FE.140-1983 |
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Record created | February 13, 2003 |
Record URL |
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