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Lot Essay
The popularity of pile carpets at the court of Louis XV was one of the main factors that led to the development of other manufacturing centres, supplying an increasing demand both from the court and the nobility (Sherrill, Sarah B.: Carpets and Rugs of Europe and America, New York, 1996, p.98. ) In the 1740s workshops were set up at Aubusson. These rapidly found a market for carpets woven to designs similar to those at the royal Savonnerie factory, but not quite as fine, or with such a wide variety of colours but which had the advantage of being very considerably cheaper. By 1756 the factories based there were selling to a number of countries including Spain, the Netherlands and America, while their French clients included various members of the court. The King himself received two carpets in 1748 and a further larger carpet in 1766. (Jarry, Madeleine.: The Carpets of Aubusson, Leigh-on-Sea, 1969, pp.13-25)
The reign of Louis XVI was not good for the Savonnerie; there were fewer orders for its prestigious products. Aubusson on the other hand benefited with many royal commissions. Amongst these was a carpet ordered by the King in 1780 which had "a grey and white mosaic ground with small blue flower-borders, decor of garlands of flowers and other ornaments." (Jarry, Madeleine.: op.cit., p.26). With the exception of the grey mosaic included in with the ivory field, the description could be that of the present carpet. Another very close similarity is shown in the central panel of a flatwoven carpet, now in the Mobilier National (Jarry, Madeline.: op.cit., pl.34). Although Madeleine Jarry dates it to the empire period, the majority of its ornamentation belongs to the previous reign.
The structure of the present carpet is typical for Aubusson. The warps are only partly depressed, unlike the full depression seen in the products of the Savonneries, and there is no coloured "dizaine" warp. There is occasional use of dark wefts - the earlier Aubussons were often very inconsistent in the colours of weft employed - and there are frequent 'lazy lines.'
The reign of Louis XVI was not good for the Savonnerie; there were fewer orders for its prestigious products. Aubusson on the other hand benefited with many royal commissions. Amongst these was a carpet ordered by the King in 1780 which had "a grey and white mosaic ground with small blue flower-borders, decor of garlands of flowers and other ornaments." (Jarry, Madeleine.: op.cit., p.26). With the exception of the grey mosaic included in with the ivory field, the description could be that of the present carpet. Another very close similarity is shown in the central panel of a flatwoven carpet, now in the Mobilier National (Jarry, Madeline.: op.cit., pl.34). Although Madeleine Jarry dates it to the empire period, the majority of its ornamentation belongs to the previous reign.
The structure of the present carpet is typical for Aubusson. The warps are only partly depressed, unlike the full depression seen in the products of the Savonneries, and there is no coloured "dizaine" warp. There is occasional use of dark wefts - the earlier Aubussons were often very inconsistent in the colours of weft employed - and there are frequent 'lazy lines.'