Imperial Workshops of Xinjiang
China
Qing dynasty (1644-1911)
Qianlong period (1736-1795)
238 x 310 cm
Asymmetrical knot
Silk pile, gilded copper threads
Cotton warp and weft
Good condition related to age,
areas of low pile, few lines of metal threads replaced
The inscription reads:
Baohedian Beiyong
Made for the Hall of Preserving Harmony
Published:
The Flower of Buddha, Textilia, 2006, p.44 catalogue n°2
Exhibited:
Mar 31 – Apr 5, 2006 – New York
THE INTERNATIONAL. ASIAN ART FAIR
Provenance:
Collection of Benjamin Bolour, Los Angeles
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.
