AN IMPERIAL YELLOW-GROUND SILK AND METAL-THREAD ‘FIVE DRAGONS’ CARPET, NINGSHOU GONG MARK (FOR USE IN THE PALACE OF TRANQUIL LONGEVITY), QING DYNASTY

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AN IMPERIAL YELLOW-GROUND SILK AND METAL-THREAD ‘FIVE DRAGONS’ CARPET, NINGSHOU GONG MARK (FOR USE IN THE PALACE OF TRANQUIL LONGEVITY), QING DYNASTY China, 19th century. Silk and metal thread, probably a silver-copper alloy. Finely woven in shades of deep blue, pale green, and creamy white against a luminous imperial yellow ground. The composition is centered by a lobed circular medallion enclosing a front-facing five-clawed dragon, its sinuous body entwined around a flaming pearl. The roundel is surrounded by a luxuriant floral arrangement and four additional dragons, one at each corner of the rectangular panel framing the scene. The decoration is bordered by a narrow key-fret pattern and further bands ornamented with floral blossoms and lotus petals. Inscriptions: To the top edge, ‘Ningshou Gong beiyong’ (For use in the Palace of Tranquil Longevity). Dimensions: Size ca. 155 x 240 cm The five-character inscription woven at the top of the carpet reads Ningshou Gong beiyong and can be translated as ‘For use in the Palace of Tranquil Longevity’. Ningshou Gong is located in the northeast corner of the Inner Court of the Forbidden City complex. Construction of the palace began on the Qianlong Emperor's orders in 1771, in preparation for his retirement, although the Emperor himself never moved into the palace. During the reign of Empress Dowager Cixi (1835-1908), the hall continued to be adorned and used as a function room for receiving esteemed guests. Its beautiful apartments, pavilions, gates, and gardens feature some of the most elegant spaces at a time widely considered to be the pinnacle of Chinese interior design. This intricate carpet design of entwined lotus flowers, carnation and chrysanthemum with leaf stems would have been highly suitable for the Palace of Tranquil Longevity within the Forbidden City for which it was woven. Each of these flowers is considered greatly symbolic within Chinese tradition, representing good fortune, prosperity and longevity. The perfectly round lunar, central medallion with its delicate scalloped edge, echoed in each of the four corner spandrels, enhances further the sense of balance and harmony within its overall design. While the dragon itself is the symbol of the Emperor, the number five is most auspicious and represents the Five Blessings (wufu) of old age, wealth, health, virtue and peaceful death. The design of Five Dragons also alludes to the Five Dragons of Yanshan (Yanshan wulong), named after the five sons of Dou Yujun, who lived in Yanshan during the Five dynasties period (907-960), each of whom achieved exceptional success with their father epitomizing the ideal parent. Literature comparison: Compare a closely related silk and metal-thread ‘five dragons’ carpet, bearing the same palace inscription as the present lot, China, Qing dynasty, 19th century, 396.2 x 281.9 cm, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 63.58. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby’s Paris, 18 June 2020, lot 28 Price: EUR 40,000 or approx. EUR 50,500 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related manner of weaving and decoration with similar arrangement of five dragons as well as the related inscription albeit referring to a different hall. Note the size (277 x 186 cm). Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie’s London, 24 October 2024, lot 259 Mid-Estimate: GBP 50,000 or approx. EUR 63,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related manner of weaving and decoration with similar arrangement of five dragons as well as the similar inscription referring to the same hall (Ning-Shou Gong Beiyong - 'Made for use in the Palace of Tranquil Longevity'). Note the larger size (389 x 278 cm).

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