LAST QUARTER 18TH CENTURY

The overall design of this carpet is representational of the transitional period between the styles of Louis XV and Louis XVI. The unusual orientation of the design is original and indicates that this carpet was woven for a specific architectural space such as an alcove or entry way. Horizontally orientated carpets are known to have been woven since at least the late 17th century, with the most famous example being the Savonnerie carpet woven for Louis XIV's bedchamber in the Tuileries Palace (see, Verlet, P., The James A. de Rothschild Collection at Waddesdon Manor, the Savonnerie, 1982, p.150, fig. 91).