TAPIS NINGXIA

This late 17th century Ningxia carpet was woven under the lengthy reign of the Kangxi Emperor, Xuanye (1662 -1722), who was the fourth Emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper. Carpets made during this period are considered to be among the finest of all Chinese classical production and it is thought that the Kangxi Emperor was indirectly repsonsible for their appreciation and increaed prestige at court. Contemporary writings record the Emperor visiting the carpet weaving workshops in Ningxia whilst touring western China in 1697, which would certainly have helped promote their desirability where they would have been housed in the homes and palaces of the wealthy Chinese artistocracy, 'By Imperial Command', Hali, Issue 124, Sept-Oct, 2002, p.45.

The strictly geometric design of interlocking stellar-shaped tiles each surrounded by smaller hexagons, outlined in shades of dark and light blue, each containing a single flowerhead, is a complex pattern that allows the carpet to be viewed from multiple directions and read in various ways. Distinctly abstract and modern in appearance, it is not dissimilar to later Art Deco designs. A comparable Ningxia carpet with an identical field and border design sold in these Rooms, 1 October 2013, lot 27.