BY ANNE GILBERT
With the interest in all things Chinese, rugs are rating a second glance and prices have risen. This is especially true with those having an Art Deco motif and their gaudy color combinations. Since there are fake antique and Art Deco examples, knowing Chinese rug history is important. Just as you would need to research Persian rugs, to keep from getting ripped off, the same applies to Chinese rugs.
Often Chinese rugs are listed at auction as being 18th century. However, few 18th century Chinese carpets and rugs are seen outside of museums. Records show that rugs woven near the end of the Ming Dynasty or during the first half of the 17th century still exist. The most luxurious were of silk woven on a web of metal threads. The central medallion, surrounded by a diaper pattern, is one of the earliest designs. Another early pattern had a field completely covered with a swastika style fret and marked at regular intervals with diagonal rows of bats(a symbol of happiness.
CLUES: Chinese rugs can usually be identified by their regional designs, as can those from Iran and Turkey. Those made from the late 19th to early 20th centuries were from the inland Chinese weaving centers of Ninghsia, Paotou and Sinkiang. These were the wool-raising areas that extended through inner Mongolia into Sinkiang. Their designs were influenced by the Turk and Muslim population. Ninghsia rugs often used prayer squares. The Paotou designs included over-all patterns of small scale motifs. These ranged from fretwork and flowerheads to “rice-grain.” This region is also known for pictorial rugs that combine designs from the Turkish and Muslim culture along with Chinese symbolism. Pomegranate and vase patterns, along with Chinese style mythical objects are also typical.
Big changes came after the 1920s, when traditional styles and colors disappeared. It is these new color combinations that not only identify the region but the age. From the 1920s to the 1940s new colors included gaudy combinations of orange, lime green, pink and lilac.
In 1924 an American, W.A.B. Nichols, living in Tiensin N. China, introduced “The Super Chinese Rug.” It was made of wool and silk in the newly popular Art Deco designs. It is considered the ultimate of its style. Examples can cost over $10,000.
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