Antique Chinese Rug | 407 x 307 cm | Nr. Z-57

Antique Chinese rug, wine red with border

Origin	China
Dimensions	407 cm x 307 cm (= 12.49 m²)
Construction	hand-knotted
Material	Pile: wool Weft & Warp: cotton
knots per m²2	120.000
Pile height	10mm
Year of manufacture	1910
Colour	Wine red, Dark blue
Edition	one-of-a-kind piece

Origin

Rugs were in all likelihood known in China very early on. The Mongol invasion around 1279 – the Mongols brought Central Asian rugs with them and used them as tents and saddlery – gave a boost to the local production that probably already existed in China. An exhibition in Saint Louis in the USA in 1903 awakened interest in Chinese rugs in the Western world. Soon afterwards, rugs were being made in China purely for export to Europe and North America. This antique Chinese rug is a collector's piece. It is around 110 years old, which alone makes it something really special. Antique rugs like this Chinese rug are as popular as ever and fetch top prices at renowned auction houses.

Pattern

The edge of the rug is graced by a surround (border). The border forms a wonderful contrast to the centre.

The background of this Chinese rug is wine red. The border is kept in dark blue.

Condition

You aren't the first to take a liking to this Chinese rug. It had owners before you who valued and used it. It was hand-knotted around 1910. It has been thoroughly cleaned and is in good, though only partly restored, condition. Over the years the pile has grown a little thinner. The fringes and edges could also do with a repair here and there. We haven't fully restored this Chinese rug, because we feel it has a special presence just as it is. If you would like us to, we will of course be happy to carry on restoring it for you. We can bring almost any rug back to near-perfect condition.

Material

China rugs are hand-knotted from silky, lustrous wool. For our high-quality China rugs, the wool is obtained by gently shearing live sheep. New wool is a renewable, natural raw material with a number of impressive properties: thanks to the natural lanolin in the wool, the surface repels droplets of water and is naturally proofed against dirt. Wool also offers excellent thermal insulation, helps regulate the indoor climate and dampens sound. The knot density is relatively low – as is typical of Chinese rugs – and the pile is left long.

The weft and warp threads of this China rug are made of cotton. This versatile material is tear-resistant and stretchy, which makes it ideal for a hard-wearing foundation weave.