Antique Axminster Carpet 1737

Axminster Carpet, England, Late 19th Century - While Axminsters generally belong within the European design tradition, like Aubusson and Savonnerie carpets, this extraordinary example fuses such taste with Persian carpet design. The oval medallions are Western or European, as is the coloration of soft reds and black on dominant tans. But the intervening vinescolls are reminiscent of Sultanabad carpets from Iran.. The design of the border is also purely Persian, although the entire composition hangs together with a remarkable decorative unity, suggesting that East and West are not so far apart after all..