Art News

Ming emperor’s carpet and imperial artefacts provide serious Chinese collecting interest at Bonhams

LONDON.- For discriminating Chinese art collectors Bonhams sale of fine Chinese Art on November 10th in London provides a rare opportunity to acquire objects made for the Chinese Imperial Court and the Emperor. The sale offers a stunning array of ceramics, jade, bronzes, furniture and one particularly fascinating carpet which has links to the Imperial Ming throne room in the Forbidden City. The carpet, a subtle work of art in muted yellows and blues, features a five-clawed dragon, symbol of the Emperor. It is estimated to sell for £80,000 to £120,000. An extremely rare yellow-ground ‘dragon’ carpet dating from the late Ming Dynasty, it features a ferocious full-faced five-clawed dragon and measures approximately 17ft by 10ft. Carpets of this age and form are exceptionally rare. From Imperial records and from inscriptions on carpets themselves we know that carpets were designed specifically for certain halls within the imperi