Rare intact 'set' of Qing Dynasty saddle carpets, i.e. for use under and above the saddle, made in the Ningxia region of China sometime in the late 18th or early 19th century (i.e circa 1800). On either side of the main field there is a central floral medallion surrounded by flower arrays and then enclosed by an inner border of pearls, while the main outer border has a simple diamond shaped flower pattern. The warp and weft are cotton, the colours - consisting of varying shades of gold / yellow and blue - are from natural dyes, while the white is from un-dyed wool. The sizes are: 'under saddle' = 130cm x 67cm (51in x 26.5in), 'above saddle' = 98cm x 60cm (38.5in x 23.5in). There are wear holes in the under saddle piece as can be seen in the photo, while the above saddle piece also shows wear through the center and a small piece missing out an end border, all commensurate with being both loved and well used over the years. a rare matched saddle carpet set that would suit a collector, and of a kind that is rarely seen on the market today. For more photos and information please see https://warpandweft.club/portfolio-item/ningxia-item-10/