Object Description
Large Antique Oushak Carpet
5.22 x 4.28 m
The weaving workshops of Western Anatolia, where Oushak carpets such as this piece were originally made, have a rich history, stretching back at least as far as the Early Modern era – as the 14th Century explorer Marco Polo once wrote, ‘here they make the most beautiful silks and carpets in the world, and with the most beautiful colours.’ These were among the earliest carpets to reach the Western market, and feature in in many of the paintings of the Old Masters, including those of Holbein, Vermeer, and Reubens. During the 19th Century, these pieces were highly sought after in the West, inspiring many of the designs of European weavings of the period, and can be found in grand historic homes across the UK and Europe, and continue to be widely sought after today, thanks to their grand scale drawing, delicate colours and silky wool.
An attractive antique Oushak carpet, dating the turn of the last century, with a bold graphic drawing and harmonious array of gracefully aged vegetable dyed colours, with tones of ivory and duck egg blue over a soft red ground, framed by a wide, decorative border.
In very good practical condition for every day use with minimal age-related wear.
A charming example with a quiet formality to compliment a variety of settings, rare in this large squarish format.