Corrosion, oxidation and wear are terms that you might hear when buying an antique rug. These are both a type of change that occur in rugs over time, but they are very different. The presence of corrosion / oxidation gives the rug an aged look and patina which lets you know that it is an authentic antique. Let’s explore how oxidation / corrosion and wear happen so that you will understand them as you evaluate rugs for your collection.
The gorgeous and opulent tapestries known as the Beauvais tapestries were woven at the Beauvais manufactory in the 17th and 18th centuries. Often considered the second most important tapestry manufactory in France after the Gobelin manufactory, the Beauvais tapestries were made for nobility and the wealthy bourgeoisie. Let’s take a closer look at the history and development of this iconic manufactory.
Rugs have been used throughout history and all over the world for religious contexts. In Belize, a truly stunning type of rug is a popular tradition and form of art used to celebrate Easter. These incredible creations can be found along roadways during Good Friday. The sawdust carpets are a perfect example of the creativity and beauty of rug making around the world.
Art Moderne is an influential design style that thrived during the 1930s and 1940s. There is overlap between Art Moderne and Art Deco, so much so that people often confuse the former for the latter or use the two terms interchangeably. In fact, historians themselves often do not agree on the relationship between Art Moderne and Art Deco, with some describing Art Moderne as a phase of Art Deco, some regarding it as a spin-off, and some seeing it as a completely different movement. Though recognizably vintage, Art Moderne continues to influence interior design in subtle ways to this day.
These rugs are as much a picture of the society that made them as any artwork hanging on walls. In modern times, the luxury of living with antique rugs and carpets appeals to numerous celebrities. Collecting these objects of beauty has become almost a hobby for some, and many well-known personalities have brought antique carpets into their homes. Explore some of our favorite antique rugs in celebrity homes.
It takes any textile weaver a very long time to create a beautiful carpet by hand. So can you imagine if after all that hard work, the piece was destroyed and all that remained of it were the pictures taken while it existed? To some, this may sound like a nightmare, but for artist Danielle van Ark, this is an essential aspect of her artwork. She creates unique sand carpets that are as beautiful as they are ephemeral.
When you look at a work of art by Antonio Santin, you may think at first that you are looking at an intricate hand-woven rug. However, Santin is not a rug-maker but a painter. For each of his oil paintings of rugs, he uses thousands of brushstrokes to accurately recreate every detail of the original’s fabric and patterns. It is not the detailed painting of the rugs themselves that make Santin’s paintings so arresting yet so unsettling, though. It is what appears to lie beneath.
Weaving carpets by hand has been a renowned art form in what is now present-day Syria since before written history. However, Damascus rugs, named after the Syrian capital and largest city and also sometimes called Damascene rugs, date back specifically to a period between the 15th and 17th centuries. At that time, Syria had been conquered by the Mamluks. For that reason, Damascus rugs are sometimes also called Mamluk rugs.
Persian rugs and carpets have been woven by hand for hundreds of years by skilled artisans in the region now known as Iran. For centuries, antique Persian rugs have been renowned worldwide as priceless art pieces due to the beauty and vibrancy of their designs and the intricacy of their handiwork. One particular rug may have done more to establish this reputation than any other: the Spring of Khosrow Carpet.