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Lot Essay
This is a remarkable tapestry woven carpet for which no closely comparable design can be found in any other published carpet. Its vibrancy of colour and its irrepressable border design, coupled with the outstanding condition make it a remarkable survival from the eighteenth century.
The field design appears to derive from seventeenth century tapestry woven table-carpets, particularly those from the Netherlands, whose fields, usually with black grounds, are strewn with separate floral sprays and on rare occasions, fruit. A good example dating from the first half of the seventeenth century, coming from the Dohna family at Schlobitten in Prussia is now in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (Bulletin van het Rijksmuseum, 1975, no.3, p.187, fig.7). The present carpet however expands the individual motifs in size and spreads them out much more, thus creating a much stronger effect even before they were placed on the powerful red ground.
As well as the colouring it is the border design that really makes this carpet so remarkable, as well as being difficult to parallel. French tapestry woven carpets are well known, particularly those from Aubusson, but the present carpet, particularly in its colouring and border design does not closely resemble anything produced in France. Aubusson versions of this field design are certainly known, but without the energy or spacing found here (M. Jarry, The carpets of Aubusson, Leigh-on-Sea, 1969, fig.50 for example, in this case a pile carpet). Remarkably little has however been published concerning carpets made in the tapestry-woven technique outside France. One of the rare exceptions is a large carpet woven in the royal workshop in Turin in 1782, but that is of a very different style to the present example (M. and V. Viale, Arazzi e tappeti antichi, Turin, 1948, pl.114 (b/w); also Sarah B. Sherrill, Carpets and Rugs of Europe and America, New York, London and Paris, 1995, pl.292).
It is therefore to tapestries that we must look for the same elements, particularly concerning the border. Here it is in Spanish and particularly Italian eighteenth century tapestries that the comparisons are a little easier to find. Some similarities can be found in tapestries from Naples and Florence, however there is no apparent record of either centre having manufactured carpets as well as tapestries in this technique. Turin also provides comparisons, and here in contrast there are certainly also records of carpets in the same technique. Notable among the comparable tapestries are the designs of those woven in the workshop started by Antonio Dini in Turin (M. Viale Ferrero, 'Claudio Beaumont and the Turin Tapestry Factory', Connoisseur, 144, December 1959, pp.145-151). This workshop was founded in 1737, working on high-warp looms, producing tapestries to be used in the royal palace being designed for Carlo Emanuele III, Duke of Savoy and King of Sardinia-Piedmont (r.1730-1773). The borders of the most famous series from this workshop, the Story of Caesar, show a number of similarities (Viale, Arrazi e Tappeti antichi, op. cit., pl.107 for example, with similar "grasses" in the upper cresting).
In addition to the 1782 carpet produced in Turin noted above, there are written records of four more which must have been produced in this technique at a slightly earlier stage. Antonio Dini the workshop master paid for four cartoons for carpets in 1741 and 1743. (Sherrill, op.cit, p.265). One of these came from Claudio Beaumont; the other three were all by Giovanni Francesco Fariano, a decorator at the Royal Court of Turin, who specialised in "ornaments, putti, flowers and birds". One of these cartoons, provided in 1741, is described as being "with flowers" in contrast to the other of that year which was woven with military trophies and arms (A. Telluccini, 'L'Arazzeria Torinese', Dedalo, VII, 1926, pp.101-131). While the production of this carpet is not recorded in the list noted by Viale (Arraze e tappetti antichi, op.cit, pp.150-1), it is tempting to wonder if there might not be a connection with the present remarkable carpet.
The field design appears to derive from seventeenth century tapestry woven table-carpets, particularly those from the Netherlands, whose fields, usually with black grounds, are strewn with separate floral sprays and on rare occasions, fruit. A good example dating from the first half of the seventeenth century, coming from the Dohna family at Schlobitten in Prussia is now in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (Bulletin van het Rijksmuseum, 1975, no.3, p.187, fig.7). The present carpet however expands the individual motifs in size and spreads them out much more, thus creating a much stronger effect even before they were placed on the powerful red ground.
As well as the colouring it is the border design that really makes this carpet so remarkable, as well as being difficult to parallel. French tapestry woven carpets are well known, particularly those from Aubusson, but the present carpet, particularly in its colouring and border design does not closely resemble anything produced in France. Aubusson versions of this field design are certainly known, but without the energy or spacing found here (M. Jarry, The carpets of Aubusson, Leigh-on-Sea, 1969, fig.50 for example, in this case a pile carpet). Remarkably little has however been published concerning carpets made in the tapestry-woven technique outside France. One of the rare exceptions is a large carpet woven in the royal workshop in Turin in 1782, but that is of a very different style to the present example (M. and V. Viale, Arazzi e tappeti antichi, Turin, 1948, pl.114 (b/w); also Sarah B. Sherrill, Carpets and Rugs of Europe and America, New York, London and Paris, 1995, pl.292).
It is therefore to tapestries that we must look for the same elements, particularly concerning the border. Here it is in Spanish and particularly Italian eighteenth century tapestries that the comparisons are a little easier to find. Some similarities can be found in tapestries from Naples and Florence, however there is no apparent record of either centre having manufactured carpets as well as tapestries in this technique. Turin also provides comparisons, and here in contrast there are certainly also records of carpets in the same technique. Notable among the comparable tapestries are the designs of those woven in the workshop started by Antonio Dini in Turin (M. Viale Ferrero, 'Claudio Beaumont and the Turin Tapestry Factory', Connoisseur, 144, December 1959, pp.145-151). This workshop was founded in 1737, working on high-warp looms, producing tapestries to be used in the royal palace being designed for Carlo Emanuele III, Duke of Savoy and King of Sardinia-Piedmont (r.1730-1773). The borders of the most famous series from this workshop, the Story of Caesar, show a number of similarities (Viale, Arrazi e Tappeti antichi, op. cit., pl.107 for example, with similar "grasses" in the upper cresting).
In addition to the 1782 carpet produced in Turin noted above, there are written records of four more which must have been produced in this technique at a slightly earlier stage. Antonio Dini the workshop master paid for four cartoons for carpets in 1741 and 1743. (Sherrill, op.cit, p.265). One of these came from Claudio Beaumont; the other three were all by Giovanni Francesco Fariano, a decorator at the Royal Court of Turin, who specialised in "ornaments, putti, flowers and birds". One of these cartoons, provided in 1741, is described as being "with flowers" in contrast to the other of that year which was woven with military trophies and arms (A. Telluccini, 'L'Arazzeria Torinese', Dedalo, VII, 1926, pp.101-131). While the production of this carpet is not recorded in the list noted by Viale (Arraze e tappetti antichi, op.cit, pp.150-1), it is tempting to wonder if there might not be a connection with the present remarkable carpet.