PROBABLY RABAT, CIRCA 1900

Details

A MOROCCAN CARPET
Probably Rabat, circa 1900
The rust-red field with scattered polychrome flowerheads around an ice-blue lozenge medallion with a rust-red cusped centrepiece with small stellar motifs, in a stepped hooked floral frame, the charcoal-black spandrels with paired angular flowerheads, in a broad lemon-yellow angular floral spray border between rust-red and pale blue palmette and floral spray stripes and narrow geometric motif and floral meander minor stripes, a rust-red palmette and angular vine outer stripe, good pile throughout, corroded black, original wide selvages, backing strip at each end
12ft.7in. x 9ft.9in. (384cm. x 296cm.)

Special notice

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Lot Essay

In contrast to most Moroccan carpets this example is unusually finely woven with an extensive range of good colours. The closest similarities seem to be found in the weavings of Rabat, where original Ottoman Turkish designs were, as here, often adapted into local variants (P. L. Fiske, W. R. Pickering and R. S. Yohe: From the Far West: Carpets and Textiles of Morocco, Washington D.C., 1980, pls.1-3 for example).

A similar example was sold in these rooms, Bernard Blondeel & Armand Deroyan Important Tapestries and Carpets, 2 April 2003, lot 56. For another good but smaller example with similar design see; (Eiland.L, Murray: Chinese and Exotic Rugs, New York, 1979, pl.47).

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