CIRCA: 1900
A rare and collectable Chinese carpet, believed to have been made somewhere in Inner Mongolia circa 1900 or possibly before, i.e. the late 1800’s. It depicts two very well rendered mythical creatures, the Qilin* and the Phoenix**, in an asymmetrically designed main field sparsely decorated with clouds, with a flowering bush and the mythical Mt Meru at one end. The border is adorned with the Eight Auspicious Buddhist Symbols,*** or religious motifs; the Endless Knot, the Two Fishes and the Wheel Of Life being easily discernible. It was brought out of Tibet with a refugee fleeing Chinese persecution in the 1960’s – hence the red cloth covered felt border so popular amongst Tibetans – and the size is 163cm x 86cm including the red cloth border. It has cotton warp and weft and soft mellow colours (both front and back) and is in very good condition. This is the first time it has been offered for sale since it was collected in Kathmandu, Nepal, circa 1970.
* The Qilin is a legendary, mythical, hooved creature that appears in Chinese mythology, and is said to appear with the imminent arrival or passing of a sage or illustrious ruler. The Qilin also appears in the mythologies of other Chinese-influenced cultures throughout Asia. Qilin generally have dragon-like features; similar heads and sometimes with antlers, long whiskers, a lions mane and a bushy tail. The body is usually fully scaled and often shaped like an ox, deer, or horse and is always shown with cloven hooves. While Chinese dragons are most commonly depicted as golden, Qilin may be of any colour or even of various colours exhibiting a jewel-like brilliance (as in this example).
** The Phoenix is an immortal bird associated with Greek mythology that cyclically regenerates or is otherwise born again. Associated with the sun, legend has it that it dies in a show of flames and combustion before rising from it’s ashes and being ‘born’ again. The Phoenix came to be associated with specific colours over time. Although the Phoenix was generally believed to be colourful and vibrant, sources provide no clear consensus about it save having a crest of feathers on its head; Ezekiel the Dramatist compared it to a rooster; while Herodotus’s claimed the Phoenix was red and yellow. Ezekiel the Tragedian declared that the Phoenix had red legs while Lactantius said that its legs were covered in yellow-gold scales with rose-coloured talons. (Note the resemblance of all these attributes here in this carpet’s Phoenix!)
***The Eight Auspicious Buddhist Symbols: The Lotus Flower. The Endless Knot of Eternity. The Wheel of Life. The Two Fish. The Conch Shell. The Precious Parasol. The Vase of Great Treasures. The Victory Banner.