Ningxia , a wool town’ in north-central China, bordering Gansu and Inner Mongolia, has produced carpets since early 17th century for local sale and for use in mandarin and aristocratic houses in China proper. Almost all of the larger antique pieces exported in the late 19th-early 20th century were from Ningxia. Ningxia rugs were woven in virtually any format: large square audience (‘throne’) carpets; long and narrow kang carpets; pillar rugs; saddle rugs; chair seats and backs; and monastery meditation hall runners. Ningxia was the source for many of the pillar carpets, runners and large audience carpets for Tibetan and other Buddhist monasteries. Occasionally these rugs are inscribed in Tibetan character to give the patrons of the work and its intended location.
This Mid-20th Century carpet is 78”x 51”. It consists of dragons and clouds - an elaborate use of shades or blue, white, off-white and beige along with a simple border it geometrical shapes with alternating flowers. The carpet is in an overall good condition.
