TIENTSIN

Tientsin is a big city, located in the Chinese province of Hopeh. Its rug-production is relatively recent, as it began early in the 20th century when some American merchants set up factories to make rugs solely for export. Alongside of rugs with traditional Chinese designs, Tientsin also produces the so-called Chinese Aubusson rugs: with high pile in pastel colours (light blue, beige, pink and pale green), according to the models of 18th century French rugs. One particular feature of these rugs is that the pile is not sheared uniformly, scissors are used to emphasize the outlines of the designs and create a three-dimensional effect.