InANTIQUES ANTIQUE EUROPEAN CARPETS
its tapestry production, before rug production and the Royal Manufactory became the defining type of weaving taking place in this historic location. Like their counterparts in Savonnerie, the flat-woven Aubusson rugs that became renowned for their placement in the palaces of French royalty became incredibly popular over the succeeding centuries, with smaller and more affordable versions becoming commonly found in the homes of wealthy homeowners. As the centuries went on, the color palette of these Aubusson carpets would become progressively softer, with more muted colors, and with more ivory and pastel hues, while still maintaining the grand floral designs of their earlier predecessors. The production of these flat-woven Aubusson rugs would continue for another two centuries, before ultimately winding down by the end of the 19th century. NEEDLEPOINT RUGS, AND THE CONTINUATION OF FLAT- WEAVING LEGACY With French Aubusson carpets making decorative flat-woven rugs all the rage for royalty and the French upper class to use on their floors in the 17th-19th centuries, the appetite for floral flat- weaves continued to grow. Enter the Needlepoint carpet.
Needlepoint rugs were popular in England from even earlier times, in the 16th - 18th centuries, but mostly for use as table pieces, either as table covers or as decorative ornamentation. These English Needlepoint rugs were flat-woven, like French Aubusson rugs, but with somewhat different construction techniques and materials. Stylistically, English Needlepoint rugs are best known for their aesthetic floral sprays and bouquets, which became the most popular and identifiable style in the 18th and 19th centuries. At the height of the popularity of French Aubusson rugs in the 17th -19th centuries, there was some crossover between French Aubusson and French Needlepoint rugs, in which French weavers began to emulate the floral stylings of the English weavings, while Antique French Aubusson Carpet – 9’10” x 14’, circa 1890, #24198
The Aubusson carpet is similar in its appearance to the Savonnerie carpet, in that both have highly ornamental floral designs that reflect that formal wall and ceiling designs of French palaces. The major difference, however, is that while Savonnerie carpets feature thick, plush wool pile, Aubusson carpets are flat-woven, with no upward wool pile at all. In that sense, Aubusson rugs are closer to Kilim rugs in their construction, but with a far more advanced rendering of design, with intricate curvilinear designs from masterful French artisans and weavers. This flat-woven construction may have its roots in the fact that the town of Aubusson was initially known for Antique French Aubusson Carpet – 17’6” x 24’, circa 1880, #24465
Antique French Aubusson Carpet – 16’5” x 19’, circa 1880, #27725
Antique French Needlepoint Rug – 6’3” x 2’9”, circa 1900, #22964
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