Alcaraz Antique Rugs and Carpets

After the expulsion of the Moors from Spain by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella in 1492, the production of carpets in Spain turned away from designs of oriental inspiration to a more classically derived Renaissance European style. The precise area of manufacture of this new type during the sixteenth century is unclear from the historical sources, but experts have long attributed them to Alcaraz in southern Castile. Such “Alcaraz” carpets tend to have allover designs style based on acanthus vinescrolls, sometimes with animal feature worked into the details as well. The range of colors also became more restricted.