FLOWERS AND DRAGONS

personImperial Workshops of Ningxia
location_onEmerald Lobby

Location

Imperial Workshops of Ningxia
China

Qing dynasty (1644-1911)
Kangxi period (1662-1722)

150 x 241 cm

Asymmetrical knot
Silk pile, gilded copper threads
Cotton warp and weft

Fair condition, silk pile low areas,
metal threads good condition

The inscription reads:
Da Qing Kangxi Nianzhi
Made during the reign of Kangxi in the Great Qing dynasty

Provenance:
Hotel de Ventes Horta, Bruxelles

IMPERIAL CARPETS – THE MEANING OF FLOWERS

The dominant image present in the carpet is that of the flower, symbolic of the very essence of nature. In the Chinese language, the word flower, hua “花”, is formed by the character “化”, which indicates the transformations occurring in the plant world.

Emerging from the mud, lotus flowers were a highly regarded symbol of Buddhist purity and enlightenment. Almost all the superior divinities of Buddhism are shown in the standing position or seated upon flowering lotuses.

Bodhisattvas’ feet are held up by a lotus in memory of the legend that flowers bloomed at every step taken by Buddha; enlightenment is thus associated with a carpet of flowers. A carpet bearing the lotus flower motif becomes in itself a transcendent vehicle between earth and heaven.

Book a Room



Book a Restaurant

Dining Offers

“REMINISCENCES OF BARRA: A VISUAL JOURNEY” ARCHIVES AND ARTS EXHIBITION

MGM Macau
There are no available rooms for the dates selected.
MGM Cotai
There are no available rooms for the dates selected.