Antique French Aubusson Carpet BB4846

An Antique Aubusson carpet with a half drop rose motif within a diamond grid pattern of vines and flowers on a caramel field. The border consists of a floral garland outlined in an autumnal stripe.

The Savonnerie carpets factory, located on the site of the present Musee d’Art Moderne, inherited its name from the soap making factory it took over at the behest of Louis XIII. From 1660 until 1743 Savonnerie was a manufacture royale, carrying out commissions for French Aubusson rugs and carpets specifically designed for the Royal Palaces. In the 1770s, the tapestry looms at Aubusson in the Creuze Valley near Limoges were converted to produce flat-woven antique oriental rugs and carpets under royal warrant. No one knows precisely when European rugs weaving began in this area, but it is certain that tapestries were first woven there long before the Gothic era.