Rare Vintage Silk Chinese Rug Temple of Heaven Tapestry 6x9 C.1965 188cmX267cm

Regular price: $11,350.00
Sale price: $11,350.00
Regular price: ~~$7,677.54~~
Unit price: per

Shipping calculated at checkout.

Quantity must be 1 or more

Description:

This genuine hand knotted Rare Vintage silk Tapestry Rug from Designers Choice Rugs is a true treasure. With its fine weaving and unique Art Deco

"Temple of Heaven" Architectural design, this rug portrays an exquisite opulence.

This rug was handmade with 100 % Hand Knotted quality natural silk. The creation of this rug involves many processes, including spinning, weaving, washing, trimming, and finishing, all requiring a skilled weaver. Known for it's durability and strength, this luxurious rug displays a Silk magnificence.

Perfect for traffic area as well as a decorative piece!

Size	6'2"x 8'9" (6' x 9') 188cm x 267cm
Serial ID #	10415k
Design	Temple Of Heaven
Origin	China
Type	Fine Tapestry, Area Rug
Category	Vintage
Pattern	Architectural, "Sacred Temple of Heaven"
Material	100% Pure Natural Silk
Foundation Material	Silk
Color	Beige, Blue, Gray, Green, Gold, Brown, Rust
Quality	Fine
Condition	Fantastic Condition, Great Piece as a Tapestry
Retail Price	$11,000
Our Price	see listing for discount

The Temple of Heaven

"The Temple of Heaven (Chinese: 天坛; pinyin: Tiāntán) is an imperial complex of religious buildings situated in the southeastern part of central Beijing. The complex was visited by the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for a good harvest. The Temple of Heaven was inscribed as a World Heritage site in 1998 and was described as "a masterpiece of architecture and landscape design which simply and graphically illustrates a cosmogony of great importance for the evolution of one of the world's great civilizations..." as the "symbolic layout and design of the Temple of Heaven had a profound influence on architecture and planning in the Far East over many centuries.

History

The temple complex was constructed from 1406 to 1420 during the reign of the Yongle Emperor of Ming Dynasty, who was also responsible for the construction of the Forbidden City in Beijing. It is currently located in Dongcheng Beijing, China. The complex was extended and renamed Temple of Heaven during the reign of the Jiajing Emperor in the 16th century. JiaJing also built three other prominent temples in Beijing, the Temple of the Sun (日壇) in the east, the Temple of Earth (地壇) in the north, and the Temple of Moon (月壇) in the west. The Temple of Heaven was renovated in the 18th century under the Qianlong Emperor. By then, the state budget was insufficient, so this was the last large-scale renovation of the temple complex in imperial times.[citation needed]

The temple was occupied by the Anglo-French alliance during the Second Opium War.[citation needed] In 1900, during the Boxer Rebellion, the Eight-Nation Alliance occupied the temple complex and turned it into the force's temporary command in Peking, which lasted for one year.[citation needed] With the downfall of the Qing, the temple complex was left un-managed. The neglect of the temple complex led to the collapse of several halls in the following years.[citation needed]

In 1914, Yuan Shikai, then President of the Republic of China, performed a Ming prayer ceremony at the temple, as part of an effort to have himself declared Emperor of China. In 1918 the temple was turned into a park and for the first time open to the public.

Panorama with the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests in the center, viewed from the south

Ceremony

Panorama from the opposite view of the Imperial Vault of Heaven

In ancient China, the Emperor of China was regarded as the Son of Heaven, who administered earthly matters on behalf of, and representing, heavenly authority. To be seen to be showing respect to the source of his authority, in the form of sacrifices to heaven, was extremely important. The temple was built for these ceremonies, mostly comprising prayers for good harvests.

Twice a year the Emperor and all his retinue would move from the Forbidden City through Beijing to encamp within the complex, wearing special robes and abstaining from eating meat. No ordinary Chinese was allowed to view this procession or the following ceremony. In the temple complex the Emperor would personally pray to Heaven for good harvests. The highpoint of the ceremony at the winter solstice was performed by the Emperor on the Earthly Mount. The ceremony had to be perfectly completed; it was widely held that the smallest of mistakes would constitute a bad omen for the whole nation in the coming year.

Symbolism

Earth was represented by a square and Heaven by a circle; several features of the temple complex symbolize the connection of Heaven and Earth, of circle and square. The whole temple complex is surrounded by two cordons of walls; the outer wall has a taller, semi-circular northern end, representing Heaven, and a shorter, rectangular southern end, representing the Earth. Both the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests and the Circular Mound Altar are round, each standing on a square yard, again representing Heaven and Earth. The number nine represents the Emperor and is evident in the design of the Circular Mound Altar: a single round marmor plate is surrounded by a ring of nine plates, then a ring of 18 plates, and so on for a total of nine surrounding rings, the outermost having 9×9 plates.

The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests has four inner, twelve middle and twelve outer pillars, representing the four seasons, twelve months and twelve traditional Chinese hours respectively. Combined, the twelve middle and twelve outer pillars represent the traditional solar terms. All the buildings within the Temple have special dark blue roof tiles, representing the Heaven.

The Seven-Star Stone Group, east of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, represents the seven peaks of Taishan Mountain, a place of Heaven worship in classical China.

There are four main supportive, dragon pillars each representing a season. The structure, held up by these dragons, imitates the style of an ancient Chinese royal palace. Twelve inner pillars symbolize the lunar months, and it is thought that the twelve outer pillars refer to the 12 two-hour periods of the day."

DRAGON AND PHOENIX - The Perfect Couple in Feng Shui

Two of the most powerful of the four celestial animals are the dragon and phoenix.

The dragon and phoenix are the perfect couple in Feng Shui. Dragon is "yang" while Phoenix is "yin", and they complement each other in creating yin-yang balance to harvest successful matrimonial bliss. This celestial couple is the symbol of everlasting love and they being together is the ultimate symbol of marital happiness. It symbolizes that the man and spouse will stay together through thick and thin, and that love and passion will last till the end. They ensure that a newlywed couple will be blessed with both patriach and matriach luck, outstanding achievement in life and great fortune and prosperity with many filial offsprings.

The dragon is the basis of feng shui studies that controls the cosmic chi and forces on earth. The dragon will bring prosperity, good career luck and success in every area of life for mankind, while the phoenix will bring out the excellent side of the female.

The Dragon when placed together with the Phoenix not only strengthens relationships. It can even relight the fires of a kindling relationship with the fiery energy of the Phoenix. The perfect symbol as well for the single female or bachelor looking to find true love.

For the dragon

The lotus blossom is one of the greatest traditional flowers in China, for it has grown from sludge but not been stained; its posture is delicate without being bewitching. The lotus is called nobleness of flowers from the perspective of its cultural meaning. The ancient Chinese revered the scared lotus as a symbol of purity and elegance, so they usually compared lotus to noble gentlemen. The moral of lotus originally came from India and lotus is a kind of very important decorating pattern of Buddhism art in India, with the core of sanctity.

The lotus roots deep but unstained in the mud and blooms gorgeously which are favored by Chinese and reflected in many Chinese poems in ancient times. Besides, lotus is a common theme for traditional Chinese paintings. What’s more, lotus is useful in terms of being admired and practically used in daily life. Each part of lotus can be utilized. For example, lotus seeds can be eaten raw; lotus leaves are an indispensable element of “Steamed Chicken of Pork in Lotus Leaves”; and lotus seeds soup is good for our health.

n Japanese Buddhism, the Manji is an ancient and important spiritual symbol.

The Manji represents the harmonious interplay of the many opposites in life – – heaven and earth, day and night, etc.

The horizontal line unites light and darkness, while the perpendicular line symbolically connects heaven and earth; and these two combined, form a cross representing the universe in harmony beyond the limits of time and space.

From this harmony comes the power that creates and nurtures all things.

The ‘trailing’ lines at the ends of the cross represent the truth that the universe and all things in it are in a perpetual state of flux.