Chinese carpets

Around the thirteenth century the art of carpet weaving in China started to flourish, albeit not across the whole country, but only in a few regions in the north and west: Ningxia, Manchuria, Shangdong Shanxi, and Inner Mongolia. It was where the influences of nomadic tribes from Central Asia were the most apparent. On the basis of the few testimonies and other historical sources written it is difficult to determine the exact place and of the origin of Chinese carpet weaving. Most likely, the ability to weave reached China the Mongols who in 1279 founded the Juan Dynasty, which reigned in China until 1368. When it comes to hand-weaving carpets they either taught this skill to the local population, or contributed to the increase in production capabilities of local manufactories by bringing craftsmen from the conquered East Turkestan.