This five clawed left facing blue dragon with burnished yellow background pillar carpet was made in Ningxia and meant to wrap around Buddhist monastery's pillar/s in large 'meditation' halls, so that it appeared the dragon encircled the pillar. It came out of Tibet in the 1960's and was bought circa 1970 in Kathmandu from a Tibetan national fleeing the Chinese (invasion). Size is 207cm x 78cm (approximately 81.75in x 30.75in), cotton warp and weft, made in the mid 1800's, probably third quarter. It has been in the same collectors possession since circa 1970 (until we now have it in our possession) and this is the very first time for sale on the open market since he bought it over 50 years ago. (The photo with two pillar carpets – right and left facing dragons - show it alongside another ‘similar’ but longer pillar carpet available here https://warpandweft.club/portfolio-item/ningxia-item-22/. a selection of these types of pillar carpets are also shown in the 'example' book.) It is in very good condition with no colour runs or reweaves / repairs. See more photos here https://warpandweft.club/portfolio-item/ningxia-item-18/ and more carpets of this nature here https://warpandweft.club/ningxia/