Early Chinese Pillar Carpet, possibly circa 1700. This is something special! a really beautiful, early piece with silky, downy wool, soft and subtle colors that have altered little over time. In places, especially around the dragon's head and eyes, there are knots made up of two separate colors in each knot. It has the right amount of a characteristically, corrosive brown wool which points to an early date for the piece. The very dynamic, writhing dragon makes a powerful artistic statement when the rug is hung on the wall. We usually only see bits and pieces of early examples like this these days. This is a rare carpet. It was collected in the early 1980's in England and has remained in the same collection ever since - it is fresh to the market. Some old, minor reweaves are scattered along its edges, they are not distracting. Otherwise, it is original throughout. There has been no re-knotting in the body of the piece. It still retains its original selvedges. The warp is made up of four strands of soft, delicate, hand spun, cotton yarns plied together and weft is two, sometimes three strands, of unplied cotton per pass - two passes between each row of knots. Size:119 x 31 inches.