Imperial Workshops of Beijing
China
Qing dynasty (1644-1911)
Qianlong period (1736-1795)
122 x 210 cm
Asymmetrical knot
Silk pile, gilded copper threads
Cotton warp and weft
Excellent condition
The inscription reads:
Jingrenggong Yuyong
For Imperial use in the Palace of Great Benevolence
Provenance:
Michaan’s Auction, Alameda, from the estate of Douglas Hague & Jorge Euan, San Francisco
IMPERIAL CARPETS
The motifs depicted on the carpets draw upon an age-old tradition. They have many interpretative levels and degrees of profundity, combining elements of Taoist, Confucian, Buddhist and Shamanistic origin.
A carpet is intrinsically a magic object, a solemn and miraculous space connected to religion and to ritual. In the sacred texts of Hinduism – the weft and weave is a metaphor for the weave of the cosmos: a series of knots and bonds connecting all beings, who are subject to the same heavenly plan.