Art Deco, France, Early 20th Century – The splendid use of color and interplay of round and angular geometric shapes in this 1920’s-era vintage rug evokes a feeling of depth and brightness. The design of this captivating French Art Deco carpet illustrates the trend toward cubism and abstract representation, departing from the more natural renderings of the earlier Art Nouveau style.
The dominant oval shape of the three large panels is countered by triangles, cubes, rhombus and straight lines. Black and white cut through vibrant colors to define motifs, boundaries and the carpet’s edges. Irregularly shaped lobes of the central motif support a whimsical star-like figure. Black outlines the lobes and defines the center of the rug, creating a sense of depth. Shades of pink, melon and chocolate brown contrast with pale green, light blue and grey tones.
This magnificent French Art Deco carpet boasts vibrant melon interplay with darker orange circles in the middle band. White lines delineate five geometric patterns within the 18 circles arranged in mirror-image formation around the oval. White defines and connects the panels to the points of the 18 triangles in the outer band.
The outer band contrasts with the inner in color and form. Two rows of triangles form a double saw-tooth pattern, one in hot pink, black and blue, the other skillfully intertwining melon and grey to echo the colors in the inner bands. Blue cubes and black triangles are woven into the larger pink triangles. The corner spandrels, reminiscent of ornamentation used on Savonnerie French carpets, continue the themes of light and dark, curve and line and abstract shape.