Antique Chinese Oriental Rugs # 43024

Chinese Rug, China, Circa 1900 - A classic Chinese design unfurls with graceful simplicity on this stunning antique Ningshia rug. An approximately circular medallion with stepped contour and cruciform filler ornament floats at the center of a fiery 'Chinese red' field, surround by clusters of openwork floral whorls. An inner border of diamond lattice rosettes is surrounded in turn by a running meander pattern rendered in three-dimensional 'trompe oeuil' technique. Guard stripes and an outer zone of navy add further structure to the framing border system. While Chinese carpets are generally known for their soft, restrained coloration, the palette here reminds us of the importance of color in classic Chinese design.