Small circular auspiciously designed rug from the Baotou / Suiyuan region of Inner Mongolia, with the central Shou symbol - the Chinese symbol of longevity - surrounded by a circle of five bats, the ‘Wu Fu’ or ‘five blessings’. The five bats in this design arrangement therefor represent the five blessings of longevity; i.e. virtue, good health, comfortable wealth, long life and a peaceful death. This design could thus be interpreted as bestowing on the owner both happiness and a long life. The pile is worn in parts as seen in the photo, but the carpet is stable and has no repairs, and has at some point in its life been edged with a thin strip of blue cotton textile to to protect the edges from any unraveling / fraying. (note: It is not just a 'repurposed / remade' fragment of a larger rug, as if that cotton edging is pealed back slightly underneath it can be seen that the rug was intentionally woven circular as is.) It has cotton warp and weft and a diameter of 74cm (approximately 29in) and the main field is undyed natural brown wool. It was made towards the end of Qing Dynasty, that is circa 1900, and the round shape and small size is rather atypical and seldom seen coming from the region it was woven in.