A rare 16th century carpet woven for the Chinese emperor is set to go under the hammer at Christie’s

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Reuters
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A rare 16th century carpet woven for the Chinese emperor is set to go under the hammer at Christie’s and is expected to fetch up to $5 million

This  rare carpet used to be placed under the Chinese Emperor’s throne at the Imperial Palace in Beijing’s Forbidden City.

There are only 39 known intact carpets from the Ming dynasty  (1368 to 1644) and only 16 that feature an imperial dragon.

An American couple originally bought the carpet on their honeymoon in China in 1920 before it was sold to a person in Switzerland in 1987.

Ming dynasty-era carpet will be valued at between US$4.08 million and US$5.4 million at a Christie’s auction scheduled for November 23 in Paris.

The carpet was woven in the 16th century.

There was an imperial workshop that created these carpets solely for the interiors of the halls within the Forbidden City.

This particular carpet, due to its shape and its decoration, was woven specifically for the emperor’s throne.

 Christie’s said this carpet probably covered the floor beneath the emperor’s throne, signifying the ruler’s connection to the heavens.

It features two large five-clawed blue dragons sewn in a traditional imperial style, which would have symbolised the emperor’s power and a blessing for good luck. Chinese emperors were often called the “True Dragon”, or “Son of Heaven.

 

Sources:  Reuters on Twitter,23/11/2021, Yahoo! News (22/11/2021)

Last Updated on 23.11.2021 by iskova