China has woven hand-knotted rugs for centuries. In fact, there were reports of rugs being woven in that north central part of China, particularly in the area around Ningxia, as early as 1696. By the 1860′s various workshops have opened in Beijing, making rugs for the imperial court. During the 1920′s and 30′s many rugs in vaguely Art Deco style were produced for the American market by rug factories located in Hebel and Shandong provinces. The Chinese rugs were woven by hand, but as the workshops increased, the factories have developed a highly organized controlling phase of production.

The old Chinese rugs became popular in Japan only a few years ago. Even in Europe, they have scarcely penetrated the market, and none of the museums there have any samples of these Asian worth mentioning. The opinion concerning the beauty, age, and value of Chinese rugs is still unsettled. Giving their preference to Persian rugs, many European countries have ignored the value Chinese rugs, settling with middle east crafts that they have been closely accustomed to.

Read the rest of this entry »