Traditional Chinese rugs and carpets are immediately recognizable by their simple, classic motifs and unusual colors. These rugs often feature a center, circular medallion; familiar objects seen in nature such as animals, flowers, and clouds; stylized Chinese ideographs; and even entire scenes. They're usually framed with a simple, wide border. Chinese rugs are woven with a 5-ply yarn, in contrast with the 2-ply yarns used in Persian rugs and carpets. Many Chinese rugs and carpets are sculpted where contrasting colors meet to provide interest and texture to the simple patterns. These rugs are usually of high quality and extremely durable.
Unlike most oriental rugs, the motifs on Chinese rugs do not unite in order to create one design; they stand alone. Also, unlike most oriental rugs, Chinese designs are very literal rather than decorative; most motifs have very exact meanings. The medallion layout tends to be very common. The medallions are usually round with a leaf-like dragon, stylized flowers or geometric fret designs. As mentioned above most Chinese motifs are symbolic rather than decorative. A common motif which comes in form of a medallion or a border component is the Shou character, which symbolizes long life. The Fu character, which is less common, means good luck. Instead of the Fu character, bats are frequently used to symbolize good luck. The following are a few more common Chinese motifs and their meanings although many more exist.
Butterfly means luck and a happy marriage. Dragon means power and authority. Phoenix represents peace and happiness. Peony symbolizes nobility, wealth and love. Lotus means purity. Pomegranate is symbolic of fertility. Fish means abundance. The Swastika pattern has several meanings including happiness, the heart of Buddha and the number 10,000. The Chinese fret, which is created by repeating swastikas, means 10,000 happiness, and the cloud motif symbolizes a wish.
For a complete look at the hundreds of area rugs in our full inventory of over 20,000, please visit eRugGallery.com.
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