A NINGXIA CARPET

Bat imagery is associated with auspiciousness in Chinese art dating back to the Han dynasty. The pronunciation of “bat” in Chinese is “fú”, the same as that of “blessing”, but there is also a poetic reference to their quick and fleeting appearance at dusk. Bats are also a symbol of longevity because of their habit of hanging upside down and staying motionless.

For a very similar rug with bats on a wan-fret field, please see Glanz der Himmelssöhne: Kaiserliche Teppiche aus China 1400-1750, London, 2005, pl. 44, p. 130.