Antique Spanish Carpet 3431
This lovely fragment of a classical Spanish Alcaraz carpet displays a lovely acanthus vinescroll pattern in a classicizing Renaissance style.
Fragment of an antique Alcaraz carpet, Spain, 16th century – This fragment of an antique rug — taken from an Alcaraz carpet made in Spain during the sixteenth century — offers special and unique insight into this distinctive carpet making tradition. Though we can only see a portion of it, this lovely fragment of a classical Spanish Alcaraz carpet displays a lovely acanthus vinescroll pattern in a classicizing Renaissance style of the type that evolved in the period following the Reconquista under Ferdinand and Isabella. The geometric border, however, still harks back to the Moorish past in which carpet weaving originated in Spain. The sweet, gentle palette of sepia set against ivory accentuates the dignified classic reserve of the design. While one can muse on what the entire piece might have been like when it was intact, this does not take away from the deep beauty and incredible craftsmanship on display in this fragment.
