Only a very limited group of the carpets woven during the thirties at the Tianjin city looms are decorated by patterns typical of the Art Deco period. Some of these rare pieces are known to be designed by Art Deco artists, who would then commission the weaving to American companies such as Nichols & Co., which were based in China. Here we see a central blossom pattern with large, polychrome flower heads and floral sprays arranged against a rare black background. These sturdy, hardwearing carpets are now highly appreciated for their abstract compositions and are extremely well suited in 20th Century interiors.
Bibliography: E. Bogen, ‘What the Wool Trade Wrought – Rug-making in Early 20th Century Tianjin’, Hali, Issue 118 (London, September-October 2001): 102-105.