Antique Signed Silk & Metal Ningxia Rug

Period: Late 19th Century
Origin: China
Dimensions: 126 x 220 cm

This rare late 19th century Chinese Ningxia rug highlights a powerful and rhythmic figurative composition featuring a celestial deity or immortal floating amidst a stylized landscape of swirling “ruyi” clouds and blooming peonies. This structural balance between the central mythological figure—holding a basket of flowers—and the surrounding ethereal elements reflects the peak of the Qing Dynasty decorative tradition. Ningxia rugs of this period are world-renowned for their sophisticated use of symbolic imagery and their ability to achieve a serene, painterly quality through the expert application of soft, lustrous wool and spacious, elegant layouts.

The color palette is masterfully balanced, featuring a warm camel-colored ground that serves as a dramatic canvas for high-contrast shifts of midnight indigo, forest green, and madder red. These rich and enduring tones, achieved through the expert application of natural dyes over 130 years ago, exhibit a chromatic strength and a saturated depth that are hallmarks of the finest late 19th-century Chinese productions. The inclusion of a complex multi-layered border system—featuring a primary golden-yellow border decorated with scrolling lotus vines and a secondary Greek key inner guard—creates a precise visual frame that highlights the superior craft quality and distinctive technical finesse of the Ningxia weavers.

Structural analysis indicates the use of premium hand-spun wool with a characteristically soft, open-knot pile and a supple handle, finished with elegant long silk fringes. The exceptional clarity of the intricate outlines—including the calligraphic inscriptions at the top and the delicate facial features of the deity—definitively distinguishes this antique masterpiece from later commercial examples. Ultimately, this Ningxia rug stands as a premier example of East Asian art, representing a peak in both technical endurance and narrative majesty for global textile collectors.

Stock No: 6334

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