Chinese Rug with Dragons and 8-Pointed Star Motif, 1950s

Peculiar and at the same time characteristic is the decoration of this old Chinese rug with a rare orange background. Main element is the eight-pointed star, used in Buddhist culture as a symbol to represent the entire cosmos. Eight is universally regarded as the number of cosmic balance: the octagonal shape is that of Buddhist temples pivoting on the one who turns the wheel of the very center of the universe The sky emperor T'ai-Yi is said to have lived in a palace in the center of the sky, atop the axis of the eight-pointed star, from which he controlled the eight divisions of the sky. In our rug the number eight as well as in the star points is repeated several times in the dragon pinwheels, which in the various levels are repeated eight at a time. Eight for the Chinese is the quintessential lucky number because its pronunciation "Ba" sounds very similar to the word "fa" meaning "to make good fortune." The number 8 is associated with good health, prosperity, success and social status, which is why it is a favorite of people in business.