CIRCA: 1700’s / 18th C.
A rare and important fret dragon seating mat woven in Ningxia, China, in the 18th century / 1700’s. Hand spun cotton warp (Z?S) and weft (2 shoots, each of four off-white Z-spun single yarns) with fine lustrous wool pile and asymmetric knots open left, and with a knot count of 32kpsi (496psdm). Four colours only; dark blue, light blue, golden yellow and apricot yellow, all naturally dyed of course. The archaic dragon heads remain recognisable while their bodies are geometric or fret styled. In very good condition for its age with no repairs or reweaves. An important and highly collectible carpet of a type that is only very rarely seen on the market today. (See a similar example in the book ‘A View of Chinese Rugs’ by H. A. Lorentz, Plate 24; and other iterations in ‘Glanz Der Himmelssohne’ by M Franses, page 119.) For the serious collector or as an investment. ALREADY SOLD.