Shanghai Deco Golden Dragon Carpet

In the early 20th century, major cities across the world were swept up in the Art Deco movement, which brought a completely new perspective to art, architecture, and design. This impressive Art Deco carpet was crafted in Shanghai, a bustling port city at the forefront of taste and culture in early 20th-century China and a hub for East-Meets-West furniture and textiles.

This monumental area rug beautifully exemplifies Shanghai Deco tastes with bold colors and whimsical decoration. The hand-knotted silk is richly pigmented in brilliant jewel tones, including sapphire blue, amethyst purple, tourmaline pink and emerald green against a golden yellow field.

The carpet is patterned with an Imperial motif of dragons soaring amidst clouds, an emblem of power, strength and fortune. Below, turbulent waters crash against rocky outcroppings, dotted with red coral and auspicious objects. The central field is enclosed by an inner border of stylized florals and an outer border with a geometric meander in green silk.