Rugs of the Hui People of China

Ningxia a province in China properly called Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region today. Yinchuan is the capital. It is a source of a particular type of rug.

Ningxia is one of the three main home provinces  of the Hui people, The Hui people speak a dialect of Mandarin Chinese and are Muslim. of Persian and Central Asian decent. In Muslim Chinese: ethnic nationalism in the People's Republic By Dru C. Gladney he notes that the Hui speak more Persian among their own people and Chinese when dealing with outsiders.

Various dynasties in particular the Manchu welcomed Persians and other Muslims into China, we are still sorting out the oldest Hui rugs but they predate the commercial era and may well be a tradition brought from Persia hundreds of years  ago.

Ningxia is one of the Rouge Provinces that are know collectively as the People Republic of Chine or popularly Red China. Rug literature and even Auction Houses refer to Ningxia as Western China. It is actually in North Central China. Its northeastern border is the Great Wall so there was a time two thousand years  ago when it was western China, 

• Antique 17th C Ningsia Chinese Oriental_Rug from Nazmiyal
• Antique 17th C Ningsia Chinese Oriental_Rug from Nazmiyal
• Antique Ninghsia Carpet,Circa 1700 Sotheby's Lot 148
• Antique Ninghsia Silk Carpet, West China Second Half 18th Century 
• Kangxi or Qianlong Ninghsia carpet Qing dynasty, 18th C.Sotheby's lot 40
• Antique Ninghsia runner early 19th C.Sotheby's lot 91
• Antique Ninghsia Rug late 19th C.Sotheby's lot 73
• Antique Ningxia Chinese rugs, late 19th C.W&W lot 303
• Antique Ninghsia Rug first quarter 20th C.Sotheby's lot 73
• Ninghsia pillar rug west china 
• Antique Ninghsia pillar rug west china
• Antique Ninghsia Silk Carpet, West China
• Antique Ninghsia dragon pillar rug west china

West China, circa 1700, oxidized browns, rewoven ends, rewoven areas through center, some repiling to browns, approximately 12ft. 6in. by. 7ft. 11 in. (3.81 by 2.41 m.)

Warp: cotton, Z3S, ivory

Weft: cotton, Z, 2 shoots of bunches of 3 wefts

Pile: wool, asymmetric knot, open to the left

Density: 7H, 5-6V

Sides: 2 cords of 2 warps wrapped in ivory cotton

Ends: not original

Colors: dark blue, light blue, yellow, buff, pale rose, ivory, walnut