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Antique Alcaraz long rug from Spain, second half of the sixteenth century A grand pattern of staggered palmettes and acanthus vines in deep sage green spreads majestically across the rich butterscotch ground of splendid Alcaraz. After 1500 the carpet workshops of Spain turned away from their Oriental origins and developed a new European ornamental vocabulary of medieval and classical derivation, which this rug so beautifully exemplifies. The dynamic leafy S-scrolls of the border with their dragon heads provide a contrast to the expansive palmettes of the field, while still utilizing the same contrasting green and butterscotch tones.
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