Antique Savonnerie Rug BB3223 12'10" × 21'3" $185,000
$185,000
A mid 19th century Savonnerie antique rug, the finely-striped black field with an allover-design of overblown curving leaves and delicate floral sprays around a central medallion within a lush cream border with vases and flowery bouquets.
The Savonnerie European Rugs 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 Savonnerie rugs and carpets specifically designed for the Royal Palaces.
In the 1770’s, the tapestry looms at Aubusson in the Creuze Valley near Limoges were converted to produce flat-woven rugs for sale 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.
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