Chinese Rugs

China, too, has a fairly long tradition of carpet-making. However, it never held as great a significance as it did, for example, in Persia. According to various historians, there are several reasons for this. For one thing, China was not a major producer of wool and therefore did not have vast quantities of raw materials to process. Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism prevailed in the Middle Kingdom. Unlike in Islam, carpets do not play a central role here. Furthermore, when furnishing living spaces, greater emphasis was placed on furniture and wall decorations. Lacquer art, painting, and calligraphy allow for greater diversity in design than is possible with carpet production.

Of course, carpets also existed in ancient China. Those who could afford it furnished their living quarters with a kang, a heated brick platform. This was covered with large carpets on which family members and guests would rest. The Chinese likely learned the art of carpet weaving from the Mongols. During the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), known for its numerous achievements, this craft also gained in importance. However, the most beautiful and magnificent examples were woven during the subsequent Qing Dynasty. The oldest surviving Chinese carpets date from the 18th and 19th centuries. Floral and naturalistic motifs were the preferred subjects. However, dragons, Buddhist symbols, and scenes from mythology were also very popular.

With the colonization of the country in the 19th century , the artistic traditions that had developed quickly lost their significance. In China, large manufacturing facilities under British or American management sprang up, primarily in Beijing and Tianjin. The focus was on mass production, and efforts were limited to reproducing Persian motifs.