A RARE LARGE IMPERIAL YELLOW WOOL CARPET MING DYNASTY, WANLI PERIOD

of impressive proportions in a trapezoidal form, centered with a full frontal five-clawed dragon with a sinuous yellow scaly body intertwined with a lush lotus vine, his untamed white, blue and green mane framing his prominent face, all enclosed within a blue keyfret border with a notch cut-out from the border flanked to each side by narrow stripes in green, yellow and black, the details further picked-out in blue green, gold white and black, all reserved on a golden-yellow ground, the carpet knotted of sheep's wool or possibly goat hair pile on a silk and cotton foundation, with the design first painted in black ink on the silken warp threads, and then filled-in with different color wools, using a diverse and complex knotting technique to create the deep pile

Christie's New York, 17th December 1993, lot 19.

Glanz der Himmelssohne: Kaiserliche Teppiche aus China 1400 – 1750, Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst, Cologne, 2005, p. 210, footnote chapter 2, no. 3.

There are stains throughout especially around the border. The centre has more concentrated wear, possibly from being folded in half in storage. There is a patch at the centre along the bottom edge that is 1m x 1m that is an old replacement. Other old replacements at the top two corners (40 x 25 cm and 30 x 50 x 30 cm) and a patch on the right edge (40 x 50 cm). The colours remain quite bright and vibrant and the overall condition is quite good.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Ming dynasty carpets are amongst the rarest objects from the collection of Palace fixtures and furnishings. From imperial records it is known that carpets were produced for specific halls and spaces in the Palace compound, and were seen not only as pieces of furniture but as an important part of the architecture. Carpets were kept on long-term basis and emperors inherited earlier pieces when they ascended the throne. Hence, the number of carpets produced was limited and those that have survived in good condition are rare. Of the few examples remaining, those of the Ming dynasty are extremely rare outside the Forbidden City in Beijing and none appear to be recorded in the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei.

The bold dragon decoration and vibrant colors of this carpet are typical of the period and represent the luxurious opulence of Ming Palace furnishings. The color scheme used for this carpet is recognizable from contemporary textiles, especially kesi weavings and porcelains decorated in the wucai palette made throughout the Ming dynasty, reaching its peak during the reign of the Wanli emperor (r. 1573-1619). The dragon, associated with the emperor, is also characteristic of Imperial designs and can be seen on Ming imperial robes such as the Wanli dragon-robe included in the exhibition Heaven's Embroidered Cloths. One-thousand Years of Chinese Textiles, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1995, cat. no. 55.  Compare also a kesi throne cover decorated with a front-facing dragon published in Weaving China's Past. The Amy S. Clague Collection of Chinese Textiles, Phoenix, 2000, pl. 12.

A trapezoidal carpet with a single five-clawed dragon within a key-fret border on a yellow ground, from a private collection in Lugano, was included in the exhibition Glanz der Himmelssohne: Kaiserliche Teppiche aus China 1400 – 1750, Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst, Cologne, 2005, p. 58, cat. no. 2, where it is mentioned that the piece was one of the carpets surrounding a throne platform. Carpets of this type appear to have been placed around an octagonal central carpet on which the throne stood. A second similar example is in the Cincinnati Museum of Art.

The outline of the keyfret border on this carpet confirms that it was made for a specific location and use. Carpets decorated in this manner, depicting a front-facing large ferocious dragon, were generally made as throne carpets. A Wanli period throne carpet, formerly in the Forbidden City and now in the J. P. Morgan collection, was also included in the Cologne exhibition, ibid., cat. no. 4. The Morgan carpet is decorated with five dragons amongst clouds within a similar keyfret border as the present piece. The triple stripe frame of the outer border, as seen on this carpet, appears to be a characteristic feature of Ming period carpets. Another carpet with a similar border design was offered in our Hong Kong rooms, 7th October 2006, lot 927. Compare also two further examples, both in a private collection, published in Hali, no. 36, December 1987, p. 84, sold at Skinner, Bolton, 31st May 1987, lot 98, of somewhat inferior quality; and another carpet decorated with five dragons but missing its borders sold at Christie's London, 18th April 1975, lot 31.