Antique English Axminster Rug (Size Adjusted) BB7390 11'10" × 19'2" $80,000

A late 19th century English Axminster rugs with an unusual Oriental 18th century Persian vase design on a dark caramel field with voluptuous pinks and beiges framed by a beige border.

The history of the Axminster large area rugs started in 1755, when Thomas Whitty opened a carpet manufacturing company in the town of Axminster, in the county of Devon. The development of antique carpet manufacture in England during this period was enabled by laws which were designed to promote locally produced textiles, out of concern that foreign textiles were dominating the market, particularly by the French Savonnerie carpets. These early English Axminster rugs were hand knotted, and they quickly became the undisputed choice for wealthy aristocracy. Antique Axminster carpetsand other European rugs grace the floors of Chatsworth and Brighton Pavillion to name a few and were bought by George III and Queen Charlotte who visited the factory in the 18th Century.