A NINGXIA 'AUSPICIOUS OBJECTS' SADDLECLOTH, QING China, 19th century. The finely woven saddle rug with a vase on a tripod stand with flowers in it, next to a square low table with a smaller vase, all surrounded by a band of key fret and a border of floral scrolls. Provenance: Old French private collection. Condition: Good condition with some soiling and wear. Dimensions: Size ca. 127 x 67 cm NINGXIA In the diary of a Jesuit priest, Father Gerbillon, it is recorded that the Kangxi Emperor visited Ningxia in 1697 and was presented with several locally made carpets which he took back with him to the Empress. With Imperial interest in the Ningxia carpets and their designs being closely related to court styles of the Ming period, their appeal increased throughout the 18th and 19th century. Ancestor portraits are significant in contributing dates to styles of carpets. In these portraits, the carpets are often visible at the edges of the thrones. The Chinese production of wool carpets and rugs spanned over several centuries and they do not appear to have been exported to Europe in the first quarter of the eighteenth century which was the height of the Chinoiserie fashion. It was only at the beginning of the twentieth century that the West became aware of Chinese carpets, largely through the dealers at the time which included Larkin & Kemp in London, and Yamanaka, Tiffany, Dilley and others in New York. Their interest to the present market is their understated elegance and balanced composition with their reduced and subtle range of colors. 寧夏博古吉祥紋馬鞍毯，清代 中國，十九世紀。精細編織的馬鞍地毯，三足架上有一個花瓶，裏面插著花，旁邊擺放著較小花瓶的方形矮桌，四周都是花卉卷葉邊框。 來源：法國私人老收藏 品相：品相良好，一些污漬和磨損 尺寸：127 x 67 厘米