61535 Antique Chinese Peking Rug, 03'11 x 06'09.
The Imperial Indigo Bloom: An Antique Chinese Peking Masterpiece of Courtly Elegance
This hand-knotted wool antique Chinese Peking rug summons the cultivated grandeur of Qing-era aesthetics—where refined minimalism met symbolic opulence. Its sumptuous indigo ground forms an imperial tableau, deep and atmospheric, upon which a mesmerizing all-over lattice of stylized rosettes unfurls. Each bloom, rendered in soft creams, warm ochres, brick reds, and celadon-inflected greens, feels like a porcelain motif lifted from a palace vessel and translated into wool. The effect is hypnotic: a botanical rhythm that hints at court gardens, auspicious renewal, and the intellectual quietude prized by scholar-officials.
The floral trellis, shaped with impeccable restraint, balances geometry with poetry. Four-petaled blossoms—at once symbolic, auspicious, and elegantly understated—hover within a network of medallion-like nodes that echo the measured symmetry of Chinese garden architecture. Color variation within the blossoms recalls mineral pigments and hand-painted ceramics, affirming its artisan pedigree. This is an aesthetic vocabulary rooted in imperial workshops, where beauty was not fussy but contemplative, and ornamentation served to elevate spirit, space, and status.
Encasing the field is a magnificent labyrinth border in traditional fretwork articulation—an enduring emblem of longevity and infinite prosperity. Its stepped meanders and interlocking pathways speak to the scholar’s pursuit of permanence, order, and cosmic harmony. The palette—rusted cinnabar, honeyed beige, pale stone, and midnight blue—softly dissolves into one another like ink wash on rice paper, creating an illusion of depth and patinated refinement. It is both commandingly architectural and beautifully abstract, a dialogue between precision and zen-like restraint.
Coveted by collectors and connoisseurs, antique Peking pieces of this caliber are treasured for their graphic clarity, tactile nobility, and subtly regal presence. This example offers more than decoration—it offers provenance, artistry, and a quiet assertion of taste. Draped upon a salon floor, library, or gallery setting, it transforms the environment into something cultured and rarefied. For the one who acquires it, this is more than a rug; it is an heirloom of courtly elegance, a symbol of discernment, and a testament to the enduring splendor of Chinese textile heritage.
- Abrash.
- Hand knotted wool.
- Made in China.
- Measures: 03'11 x 06'09.
- Pile Height: 0.35 of an inch.
- Date: 1920's. Early 20th Century.
