Those which reach our own shores are generally divided into three classes according to the districts from which they came, namely, Pekin, Tientsin and Thibet, the latter being practically Chinese although not geographically so. The above are named in order of their excellence, the finest pieces, as a rule, coming from northern China.
Unlike other Oriental textiles those of China may be interestingly classified according to the symbolism of their designs, thus we may have the longevity rug in which are depicted the crane, the stork, the deer, or the tortoise, all of which are symbols of longevity. The literary rug is decorated with books, ink stands, pencils, brushes, scrolls, and sceptres. The bat, the gourd, the circle of happiness, and the shou denote happiness; the dragon, the lion, the phœnix, and the sword authority and power; the swastika, the knot of destiny, the swallow, and the magpie are symbols of good luck, while in the religious rugs are found the rosary, the incense burner and various altar implements.
The Chinese weaver is fond of filling every available space with objects with which he comes in daily contact, thus among the animate things may be mentioned butterflies, dogs, doves, ducks and swans. Among the inanimate things are vases, chess boards, jars, stands, baskets, wheels, ribbons, shells, pots and plates, while among the flowers are the peony, the primrose, the peach, the magnolia and tea blossom, the lotus, the orchid, the chrysanthemum, the sun flower and the aster.
There are seven designs, which on account of the great frequency with which they are used, are worthy of special mention. Named in order of their employment, they are the circle of happiness, the Chinese fret, the swastika, the butterfly, the bat, the shou, and the dragon.
The circle of happiness which is found in nearly all classes of Chinese rugs is a circle or ovoid within which are worked various Mongolian designs. The Chinese, or Greek fret, as it is sometimes called, is a border design suggested by the overlapping of the sea waves and is found in fully two-thirds of the Chinese products. The swastika needs little explanation other than the statement that for centuries it has symbolized good luck to many tribes in distant parts of the world. Butterflies, symbols of vanity, are frequently found intermingled with flowers or bats, the latter being symbolic of happiness. The shou, which stands for prosperity, has nearly a hundred different forms, many of which are similar in shape to the Egyptian scarab. The dragon, the Chinese symbol for sovereignty, always has five claws, unlike the Japanese dragon, which has but three. It is frequently represented as holding or looking towards a round object, the so-called "chin" or jewel.