REAL FÁBRICA DE TAPICES, SPAIN, EARLY 20TH CENTURY

The design of the present carpet is reminiscent of the decorative art of pietra dura, which is the technique of 'hard stone' inlay which originated in the sixteenth century in Rome. The polychrome arrangement of semi-precious stones and marble, are cut and highly polished and displayed in a decorative mosaic style. Pietra dura was used to decorate a variety of types of furniture although table tops are often the largest and most prized specimens; an exceptional example of which sold in these Rooms, 1 December 2005, lot 157. The striking black background of the present carpet creates a striking backdrop for the decorative polychrome roundels.