Vintage Spanish Cuenca Rug with Renaissance Palmette Design
Located in Milan, IT
The court workshop called 'Real Fabrica de Tapices' has been active in Madrid since the 17th century, supplying handmade carpets woven with Turkish (symmetrical) knots to both the court as well as for export. Throughout the 20th century their carpets were either woven with French Savonnerie patterns or, as in this case, with designs taken from the Spanish Renaissance weaving tradition. These carpets are known in the trade with the term of 'Cuenca,' which is the city in southern Spain where they were originally woven in the 15th-17th centuries. Here the pattern, which has a raised pile with respect to the ivory background, is distinguished by an infinite repeat of curvilinear palmettes as seen on 15th-16th century Spanish Alcaraz carpets.
Vintage 1940s Spanish Oushak Western European Rugs
Wool
