Bonhams 1793 : A yellow-ground rectangular 'dragon' carpet 19th century, five-character hall mark Taihe Dian bei yong (for use in the Hall of Supreme Harmony)

19th century, five-character hall mark Taihe Dian bei yong (for use in the Hall of Supreme Harmony)
The rectangular carpet woven in shades of blue, pale blue, green and yellow with metallic wire on a pale honey ground, decorated with a ferocious full-faced five-clawed dragon encircled by ten smaller ones symmetrically placed above and below the main one, all within a diaper border with the five-character inscription to the top.
244cm x 160cm (96in x 63in)

Sold for £3,750 inc. premium

Footnotes

Provenance: a European private collection

十九世紀黃地團龍紋地毯「太和殿備用」楷書款

來源: 歐洲私人收藏

The five-character inscription Taihe Dian bei yong suggests that the carpet was made for use in the 'Taihe Dian' (Hall of Supreme Harmony), the largest hall in the Forbidden City, also known as the 'Hall of Golden Throne'. It was built during the Yongle reign (1403-1424) in the Ming Dynasty and was used for great ceremonies on New Year and the Winter Solstice, also on important occasions such as a new Emperor's accession to the throne or the Emperor's birthday during the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

Compare a related carpet, also made for the Taihe Dian, sold at Sotheby's London, 7 November 2007, lot 239.