Antique Agra Oriental Rug 1197

Agra Rug, India, Late 19th Century - This sweetly elegant antique Agra combines the best effects of the medallion and allover formats. At the center a small medallion derived from the classic Chinese "cloud-collar" pattern provides a focal anchor without dominating the field. Around it is a delicate scatter of realistic plants - flowers with leaves - derived from the much more brightly-colored classical Indian Mughal carpets. The corner-pieces with their realistic flowers and vines are hardly distinguishable from the scattered flowers of the field since they differ from them only in scale and density, blurring the distinction between medallion and allover designs. Such subtlety, along with the soft pastel palette, makes this a wonderfully adaptable decorative carpet.