{"id":1353,"date":"2025-04-23T03:44:27","date_gmt":"2025-04-23T03:44:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiquerugstudio.com\/blog\/?p=1353"},"modified":"2025-04-23T03:46:40","modified_gmt":"2025-04-23T03:46:40","slug":"north-china-main-hall-carpet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiquerugstudio.com\/blog\/2025\/04\/23\/north-china-main-hall-carpet\/","title":{"rendered":"North China Main Hall\u00a0Carpet"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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#20993<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Main Hall Carpet<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Probably Suiyuan, North China<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Early Nineteenth Century<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8\u20195\u201d x 11\u201910\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Structural Analysis:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Warp: cotton, off white, natural, Z-4-S;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weft: cotton, off white, natural, Z-6-S, Z-7-S, loosely plied,2 shoots alternating, equally slack-wavy;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pile: wool, Z-2, thin yarn, granular surface texture;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Knot: Pl\/0 degrees alternate warp depression\/horizontal 5 per inch x 5 per vertical inch = 25 per square inch;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sides: 2 cords each of two body warps, weft attached; closely weft covered in figure eight style;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ends: not original;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weft\/knot ratio:50\/50, a few weft wedges in outer border along edges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remarks:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The oatmeal field has an overall pattern of bats, knots and shou discs and is clearly adapted from a silk brocade textile pattern. The textile patterning continues in the main border where a swastika fret on a terracotta ground displays cartouches with a non-repeating series of silk brocade sections. There is a T-fret inner border with neatly turned corners and a pearled innermost stripe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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There are a few comparanda\u00a0to 20993 to be noticed.\u00a0 One\u00a0appeared in the Yamanaka Sale, American Art Association, NY, 7-8.1. l909, lot 142, 4.11 x 8.8 with an old ivory field one way patterned with bats and peaches. \u00a0The inner border was also pearled while the main displayed cartouches with Taoist symbolic objects alternating with reserved enclosing knots (bought by Topalyan for $370) interestingly, #20993 is also ex-Yamanaka, sold\u00a0at his sale, AAA,4-7. l2. 1929, lot 769 (for $275). The size given there is 8.1 x 11.9, probably\u00a0a slight mis-measurement of the width\u00a0as the picture is identical with 20933.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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There are several cogent reasons to doubt a Ningxia origin. The Z-6,7-S wefts with relatively fine individual strands differ from the more usual Ningxia Z-4 (or occasionally Z-2 or 3) yarns with thick and irregular component strands.  The selvage, though Ningxia in general setup, is far more completely covered than the usual sparse, quick Ningxia edges. The pile wool has a particularly granular and almost coarse texture with thicker individual fibers. The pile of Ningxia carpets is generally silkier and softer. The knots are more discrete.  The general surface impression is visually and tactually distinct from the overwhelming run of Ningxia pieces.  The field tone is not Ningxia off white, but a shade closer to pale tan, it was never yellow.  The 1929 catalogue also calls it \u201ctan\u201d.  The madder derived terracotta in the border is not usually found in Ningxia pieces.  In general, then the facture significantly diverges from that expected in Ningxia rugs.<\/p>\n\n\n