Art Deco Rugs - The Art Deco period was an international design movement from 1925 to 1940's. It produced a mix of many different styles borrowing design influences from neoclassical, constructivism, cubism, modernism, and art nouveau. The Art Deco movement led to the evolution of the carpet revolution. Antique carpets made before the 1920's, especially the more refined oriental carpets, did not compliment the modern decor and Art Deco furnishings. A new style was taking shape that reflected this movement. Carpet design evolved from floral to angular elegance with modern, abstract and figurative motifs. The color palate is both bold and muted with interesting juxtapositions of light and dark. The design is frequently spare, geometric, and architectural with a luxurious feel. Such legendary artists as Picasso, Poiret, Gray, Delaunay, Klee, Paul and Dorn shaped this evolution. Paule Leleu the daughter of Jules Leleu of the famed House of Leleu was a talented creator whose vision also contributed to these highly collectible rugs.
In the rug trade, term Art Deco or Deco (for short) applies to European and certain Chinese carpets that reflect the new movements in modern European decorative arts during the first third of the twentieth century. Art Deco is a hybrid of neoclassical, modernism, art nouveau, cubism and constructivism during the early 20th century.
Experimentation with bold colors, angular lines, and do not have heavy ornamentation. Over the past few years, the demand for art deco rugs and art deco carpets has grown tremendously. Partly fueled by the revival of mid-century modernist interior design trends, Art deco rugs come from various regions in Europe but some of the most coveted pieces are the art deco carpets or rugs that were made in France, China and Scandinavia (which are really mid-century modern but when it comes to interior design the term art deco does fit in well). Since rugs need to be 80 years old or older to be called antique, in only a few more years the earlier pieces could be be referred to as Antique Art Deco rugs !
While the term Art Deco really refers to a movement / time period, most dealers will refer to any of the modernist rugs as art deco. So if you have your heart set on a true period art deco piece then you might have to sort through some of the other types of mid-century pieces - which might not be a bad thing at all!
Read more about Art Deco rugs and carpets:
Featured Art Deco Rugs:
This extraordinary modernist / Bauhaus French flat weave, taken from Wassily Kandinsky's watercolor "Horizontales," is a masterpiece of Abstract Expressionism.
This grand Art Deco carpet has a classic modernist pattern of intersecting circles and crescents in shades of mauve, taupe, sand, and cocoa. This piece was created by the prestigious French design firm Décoration Intérieure Moderne also known as Décore-Installe-Meuble or DIM (1919-1953)
Stately, modern and distinguished, this Art Deco rug from India features an exquisite allover pattern with layers of geometric patterns rendered in warm earth tones.
This imposing Art Deco carpet is the epitome of Modernist sophisticated simplicity.
While this beautiful antique carpet is a study in modernist abstraction, it still may conceal a wealth of traditional Oriental forms.
This charming Jacques Emile Ruhlmann French Deco rug reinterprets the naturalistic floral repertoire of nineteenth century Savonnerie rugs.
