Antique Imperial Red Silk Rug with Phoenixes
N°
00240
Period
Circa 1870
Origin
Ningxia, Northern China
Materials
Silk
Status
Available
Size
270 cm x 1838'10" x 6'0"
This rare antique Imperial silk rug features an unusual lacquer red background, decorated at the center with a large phoenix surrounded by four smaller phoenixes in the corners. The phoenix, symbolizing prosperity and happiness, represents the Empress. Red, representing the element of fire and evocative of summer, was often used for festive occasions such as births and weddings.
The seamless transition between the field and the border, adorned with phoenixes connected by thin stems and alternated with leafy lotus flowers (symbols of purity), adds to the rug’s strong propitiatory significance. This rug was possibly conceived as a wedding gift for an Empress.
Antique Textile Art, n.25, p. 53