Antique Axminster Botanic Red, Blue and Beige Handwoven Wool Rug BB7403 11'4" × 15'3" $12,000

An Axminster carpet, the red field with scattered green leaves around blue and beige floral medallions containing floral motifs and with irregular playful edges within a dark blue border of palmettes, flowerheads and abstract vinery.

An Axminster carpet is a type of pile European carpet named for Axminster, a town in Southwest England which continues to produce carpets today. These carpets are made distinctive by their bright colors, and they are traditionally made from wool. Like the French antique oriental rugs they often featured classical motifs borrowed from Renaissance architectural elements and floral patterns while a few designs embraced Oriental patterns. William Morris and CFA Voysey are famous designers who drew patterns for Axminster carpets and rugs in NYC in the late 19th/early 20th century. Most people associate Axminster with quality, since it has been a renowned name in carpet making for centuries.