Large Square Antique Oriental Ivory and Blue Chinese 19th Century Rug 43321

Large Square Antique Oriental Ivory and Blue Chinese Rug, Origin: China, Circa: Late 19th Century – This lovely antique Chinese Ninghsia rug epitomizes the consummate elegance and restraint of classic Chinese rug design. At the center and openwork medallion floats gracefully amidst sprays of flowering branches on a pale tan ground. The entire composition treads the fine line between ornament and figurative representation. The inner medallion itself is a scene of sorts, while the life-like branches of the field are arranged in a balanced array, but not symmetrically as a design. It is only in the precisely drawn meander and vine-scroll borders that we return to the world of ornamental pattern, which provides a perfect contrast to the organic realism of the field.