Antique Chinese Ningxia Tibetan Dragon Pillar Rug Qing Dynasty

Pillar rug is a specific Chinese textile art found in Tibetan Buddhist Temples with most survived exampled dated to Qing dynasty (1644 to 1912). Mostly woven in fine wool, these rugs were not for the floor as runner despite its shape but were used to be hung and wrap around the pillars in the temple hall. Always made in a mirror pair for that purpose, the design motifs (most common one is slithering dragon in the clouds) always horizontally coiled, were conducive for its use as well.
The pillar rug on offer circa mid-19th century was woven with a soft fine wool that is silky to the touch. Woven in North-western China likely in Ningxia or Mongolia, the carpet showcases an iconic design centered by a coiled five-claws dragon with blue scales chasing a fire pearl among horizontal bands of clouds. Set on a mustard yellow background, many Tibetan Buddhism symbols are present such as hanging lanterns, lion-face masks, carps, mantra wheels and Buddhist chimes. The lower border is called Li-Shui Rocks. The colored bands represent the waves of ocean and the rock in the center is the mountain where the deities dwell. Ubiquitously found on the royal court robes of the Qing Dynasty as the bottom border, they were borrowed and used on these rugs as auspicious symbols as well. The rug was well preserved, with short tassels intact on both ends and shows a wonderful age reflected in its overall mellow and even patina.