INDIAN RUGS x CHINESE RUGS

|| BRIEF HISTORY 

Carpet weaving was brought to India by the  great Mughal Emperor Akbar in the 16th century and is known as Mughal carpets. Moreover, the region’s hot climate could never have required the warmth of carpets. It was until the 16th century, that Mughal emperors patronized Persian carpets for their royal courts and palaces. Akbar had called for specialized artists and weavers sent from Persian court to set up workshops in his two Indian capitals in Agra and Fatehpur Sikri.Initially, the carpets woven showed the classic Persian style with fine knotting. 

|| THE MOGUL STYLE

The Mogul style was influenced by the passion for botany of Akbar's son, the emperor Jahangir (reigned 1605-1627). Under his rule all the arts tended toward representations of a floral character, which were rendered with such naturalism and presented such a variety of species that they competed with Western herbals. This style reached full expressive maturity, evident in the perfect realism of its renderings and close attention to detail.''


Typical rugs from India is lac red, with its characteristic bluish reflections, obtained from an insect of the cochineal family known as lac and used in grounds; against this colour stand out designs coloured light yellow, mustard yellow, light led, pink, light blue, midnight blue, light green, emerald green, orange, black, and brown. The borders are characterized by a dark ground, rendered using a strong green-blue, suitable for making contrasts with the lac red of the field.

ARITSARM RUGS

The spectacular rugs of Amritsar capture the exotic style of India while incorporating a subtle colonial influence. It was created by influential exporters to fuel the demand for exotic rugs and textiles following Queen Victoria’s 1851 Great Exhibition in the Crystal Palace. Elegant curvilinear botanical motifs and superior materials have made Amritsar carpets particularly desirable and easy to appreciate. 

Decorative Allover Design Antique Indian Amritsar Rug. Circa 1900

It has a rich jewel-like “Herati” pattern in gold set against a deep brown ground. The precision of the drawing gives the impression of gold filigree metalwork. 

KASHMIR RUGS

Kashmir carpet is usually handmade and hand-knotted from pure wool or pure silk which gives uniqueness and originality to every piece. Kashmir carpet is known for beautiful and intricate designs with a wide range of colors. Quality Kashmir carpet usually ranges from 600-900 knots per square inch.

Exotic Kashmir Oriental Rug in Teal Blue as base color - Hand Knotted.

Made of 100% Silk. Traditional design.

Kashmir rugs may also be found as silk piled rugs woven on silk foundations, this is somewhat of a more unusual find.  Another distinguishing factor for silk Kashmir rugs is the use of multiple yarn ply. 

MIRZAPUR RUGS

 It is in the center of the richest and most cultured part of India.The Hindu element is strong here. The modern Mirzapur rugs show round, floral figures, with dark red as the prevailing color, usually arranged in rows upon a pale yellow or cream colored ground. Dark red, almost maroon, prevails also in the borders, which carry some arrangement of the pear pattern resembling the main borders of the Khorassans, or else a repetition of the floral forms found in the body of the rug, with a connecting vine.

Hand-knotted Mirzapur Dark Brown, Light Khaki Wool Rug

LAHORE RUGS

It is one of the places where prison weaving has been done. Weaving outside the jails has been quite extensively revived here lately. Some of them woven in the Persian fashion, are fairly good. The prevailing design is a Persian pear pattern for the fields, arranged like that of the Herat or Saraband, and a border in which the Greek elements are predominant. 

Antique indian lahore rug

AGRA RUGS

They are of enormous weight and solidity. The designs are similar to those common in the time of Mongol ascendancy, the cone forms playing an important part. For a long time after the establishment of the weaving in jails and the industrial school, the rugs were nearly all in a monotone of two colors, green or blue, with pale cream color. More recently the use of browns and purples was begun. 

The central field in the later rugs presents an angular form of some Mohammedan device, and the border, very often, the transverse arrangement of the pear shape spoken of as being a feature of certain Khorassans. In the jails, where the manufacture is still carried on, cotton rugs are made, thick and heavy like the woolen ones.

ALLAHABAD RUGS

It is the center as well of the most thoroughly British influence in the realm. Although not one of the most important weaving cities, there are exported from it a great many rugs, similar in almost every respect to those of Agra. They range in texture from forty-eight to possibly one hundred knots to the square inch.

Chinese Rugs as opposed to most of the antique rugs productions were woven almost exclusively for internal consumption. Since they were mostly sheltered from European and western influences, this offers us the reason why these carpets have a very unique truly ethnically Chinese look and appeal. Only during the early part of the 19th century did they open their markets to the countries of the west.

The Ming dynasty which followed survived until the creation of the Chinese republic in 1912. This would be a good time to note that while most rugs are attributed to a specific manufacturer or region, authorities and scholars attribute the age vintage of any specific rug to the ruling emperor of the time. Rich in culture, history and folklore Chinese carpets incorporate design almost never seen in any other type of rug. Dragons, local art and ornamental objects are almost always a trademark of these productions.

Widely seen in Chinese rug designs, one also finds the Pinyan Wan  (a symbol that has been associated with the horrible acts of the Nazi party) over 3000 years old this symbol, which even predates both the Egyptian Ahnk, the symbol used to represent harmony and Dharma, the balance of opposites. 


They are designed with both medallion as well as all-over formats. Frequently design elements include pictorial scenes, trees, clouds, mountains, dragons, birds and exotic flowers. Colors are very lively and energetic, rich jewel tones of magenta, turquoise, emerald, ruby and violet are common. 

Qing Dynasty

K’ang Hsi Era

Chi’en Lung Era

Antique Chinese carpets and rugs are specifically sought after for their unique literal designs that distinguish from European counterparts. Originally made of wool, Chinese carpets and rugs are typically decorated with symbols of longevity and good luck. Dragons, phoenixes, lotus flowers, and birds are all very common stitched-in motifs.

With the advent of Western trade and influences, the Chinese began to create rugs in large quantities for the purpose of export. The rugs produced during this time, during the 19th and 20th centuries, are mostly considered Chinese Art Deco rugs. While these rugs still have many of the same Chinese aesthetics in regards to form and color, traditional rug making was largely abandoned for more commercial practices.

Quick Facts

• ·         Chinese carpets and rugs tend to have uneven or coarse knotting as the value lies more in the quality of the image rather than the quality of the rug itself
• ·         During the 1920s to 1930s, American Walter Nichols established an Art Deco rug making practice in China. These rugs are distinguishable by their bold colors and exotic patterns
• ·         Evidence of the creation of rugs in China can be seen on early Tang Dynasty paintings from over one thousand years ago. These rugs were much more monochromatic, featuring blues and beiges rather than bold, bright colors

 

Chinese Art Deco Rug, early 20th Century. 

This bold Chinese rug begins with a border comprised of cream against a vivid blue background. 

Floral accents against small gold fields provide a gentle contrast along the length of the frame. The stunning golden fluidity of the dragons offsets the austere brick-like background. These exquisite golden dragons, symbols of luck and wealth, circle a pale gold medallion decorated with rich blue dragons. This bold juxtaposition of the modern and traditional in this rug compose a striking and exotic artistic statement.

Antique Ningsia Rug, Origin: China, Circa: 

Early 19th Century – This stunning room-sized dragon carpet is a powerful work of art that pairs symbolic and mythological figures with a clean, formal composition. Grand banner-style borders with clever notched edges encircle the field and frame the auspicious Chinese shou-style insignias that decorate each corner. The classical round medallion is filled with an animated dragon that features five deeply hooked claws, a furcated tail and a serpentine body that spirals around the self-contained roundel. 

This dramatic focal figure is paired with eight other pearl-seeking serpents, which play off the numerology of China’s nine legendary dragons. From the carefully selected shou symbols to the positions of the pearl-facing creatures, this antique Ningsia dragon rug immortalizes cultural legends and traditions.

Rug Type: Antique Silk Chinese Rug, Circa, Late 19th Century 

Like many other breathtaking Chinese pieces, this elegant silk rug uses powerful colors against neutral backgrounds to highlight details and forms. 

Here, an elegantly arching dragon draws the viewer’s attention to the core of this antique Chinese rug, where the dragon’s bright red resplendence stands out against the murky darkness of the backdrop. Several red clouds surround the dragon, signifying its ascent into the sky. Around the antique rug is a rigid border that stands in thematic contrast to the freely flowing elements within, helping add character to the scene, as if the imagery was captured from a still of life.

REFERENCES:

Decorative Antique Amritsar Rugs from India. (n.d.). Retrieved January 20, 2017, from https://nazmiyalantiquerugs.com/antique/india/amritsar/

Indian Rugs. (n.d.). Retrieved January 20, 2017, from http://www.oriental-rugs-history.com/india-rugs.html#Amritsar-Rugs

The Best On-line Carpets & Rugs Guide. (n.d.). Retrieved January 20, 2017, from http://www.carpets-rugs-guide.com/kashmir-carpet.htm

Chinese Rugs | Beautiful Antique Chinese Rug Collection. (n.d.). Retrieved January 21, 2017, from https://nazmiyalantiquerugs.com/antique/china/chinese/

Oriental Rugs History (2010, October) Retrieved from http://www.oriental-rugs-history.com/india-rugs.html#Lahore-Rugs

Chinese Rugs. (n.d.). Retrieved January 21, 2017, from http://www.invaluable.com/chinese-rugs-carpets/sc-1D04LX7Q70/ https://nazmiyalantiquerugs.com/antique/china/chinese/antique-silk-dragon-chinese-rug-48997/