Imperial Workshops of Xinjiang
China
Qing dynasty (1644-1911)
Qianlong period (1736-1795)
157 x 243 cm
Asymmetrical knot
Silk pile, gilded copper threads
Silk warp and weft
Excellent condition
The inscription reads:
Ningshougong Beiyong
Made for the Palace of Tranquility and Longevity
Published:
Imperial Court Carpets from the Qing Dynasty, Orientalis, 2007
Exhibited:
Sep 19, 2007 – Feb 1, 2008 – Danon Gallery, New York
IMPERIAL COURT CARPETS FROM THE QING DAYNASTY (1644/1911)
Sep 1, 2010 – Mar 31, 2011 – Danon Gallery, New York
THE SECRET OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER
Carpets from the Qianlong Palace
Provenance:
Collection Tchaloyan, Paris
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.
