 | “Better to be ancient than modern, better to be simple than elaborate, better to be frugal than vulgar.” The Treatise on Superfluous Things “Ancient” refers to tradition and heritage, with elegance as the prerequisite. To recreate a classical Chinese carpet, every step must follow traditional craftsmanship to capture the essence of antique carpets. The beauty of classical carpets is inextricably linked to their manufacturing techniques; to recreate the beauty of classical Chinese carpets, we must rediscover and revive these traditional crafts. This is a gradual process: researching various weaving techniques, learning plant-based dyeing methods from different regions, collecting natural dye materials from diverse areas, developing post-processing techniques for carpets, and so on—then reassembling these fragments of traditional craftsmanship into a cohesive whole.
Crafting a exquisite classical Chinese handmade carpet using traditional methods integrates various traditional crafts such as pattern design, spinning, dyeing, color coordination, and weaving, involving more than a dozen distinct processes. Only when every step is executed to perfection can a masterpiece be created. The following provides a brief overview of several key stages in the carpet-making process. |
 | Image Selection: CC’s masterful reproductions of classical carpets are primarily based on works from the classical period of Chinese carpet-making, particularly the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty. A major source of reference for these antique carpets includes several major museums around the world, such as the Palace Museum in Beijing and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, as well as renowned antique and art auctions, such as Christie’s and Sotheby’s.
Sketching: Hand-drawn sketches are a crucial step in the reproduction of classical Chinese carpets. Since the designs of antique carpets were all hand-drawn, and given the painterly style of Chinese carpet design, only by relying on master artists to create hand-drawn sketches can one capture the essence of antique carpets and convey the flexibility and refinement of the design; professional computer software serves as a supplementary tool in this process.
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 | Color Scheme: Before crafting an antique-style rug, we spend a great deal of time studying the colors in antique rugs. The goal of the color scheme is to recreate the subtle and harmonious visual effect of antique rugs as closely as possible. Dyeing: Antique carpets dating back more than 150 years were dyed using natural dyes, which is one of the key factors contributing to their collectible value. Natural dyes, with the exception of a few derived from animals (such as cochineal), are primarily sourced from plants. The dyes must first be soaked; some require fermentation beforehand, followed by boiling in water to extract the pigments. The yarn undergoes processes such as washing, soaking, and mordanting, followed by dyeing, rinsing, and drying. For colors requiring over-dyeing, this process must be repeated two or more times.
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 | Materials: A fine, classic Chinese-style carpet is crafted with meticulous attention to detail, using durable cotton or hemp for the warp and weft threads; some even employ expensive silk. High-quality carpet wool, such as Lincoln wool, is a rare breed. We can only import it in small batches directly from its country of origin—initially from New Zealand and Australia, but currently from the United Kingdom, the homeland of the Lincoln sheep. Weaving: The weaving process is arduous work; weavers sit at their looms for hours each day, a task that requires both skill and patience. It takes six months to train a skilled weaver. In this era of advanced technology, hand-woven carpets seem to be becoming an increasingly rare craft.
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 | Post-processing: This refers to the series of steps that take place between the completion of weaving the rug on the loom and its transformation into a finished product, including leveling, polishing, washing, drying, and trimming. Leveling involves trimming the rug’s surface to ensure it lies flat. Polishing uses a special machine to fluff and lay the pile flat, creating a more natural, uniform appearance and improving the texture. Typically, each rug undergoes two wash cycles before becoming a finished product, is dried in natural light, and is finally trimmed along the edges and surface, then vacuumed to remove any debris.
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