Antique Dutch Art Deco Rug, Rich Red With Floral Damask - Rug & Kilim

Details

Description

Made with hand-knotted wool and originating from the Netherlands circa 1920-1930, this 12x13 antique Art Deco rug is one of … Read more Made with hand-knotted wool and originating from the Netherlands circa 1920-1930, this 12x13 antique Art Deco rug is one of a rare handful of Deventer rugs—named for the celebrated city of historic productions known for its traditional European designs since the 18th century—a rich and particularly unique find of the Dutch Art Deco lineage to join Rug & Kilim’s collections.

On the Design:

Admirers of the craft may note this rug is suspected to originate from the Koninklijke Vereenigde Tapitjfabrief (or “Royal United Carpet Factory”) in Deventer—factory once begun as part of a social initiative to create more jobs for the poor of the city and stimulate the economy, which then flourished into a major textile enterprise renowned for its intricate works.

Some of the masterpieces from this factory were used in prominent Dutch buildings, such as the Royal Palace in Amsterdam and the House of Representatives in The Hague, to name a few.

Among their departures from other works of the Jazz Age, such as French Art Deco rugs heavily favoring the modernist look and Chinese Art Deco rugs blending dynastic symbolism with modern colors, Deventer rugs sometimes borrowed motifs from Turkish Oushak rugs of a more rustic, folk art-inspired style—a mark of the Eastern influence on Western design that’s been known to yield some of the richest works, and often royal commissions known to favor this fusion of designs.

This square rug is an exemplary find in that regard for both its sense of grandeur and the subtleties that distinguish it from similar works of the period. A rich tone-on-tone field of burgundy and crimson red lends the look of an open field at first glance, yet the keen eye will note impossibly subdued floral patterns of the Damask style, and furthermore admire their unique, almost asymmetrical sense of movement in their orientation.

Enfolding the field is a particularly regal, detailed border of curvaceous spandrels and floral emblems seldom seen outside of armorial carpets of Tudor provenance and some Neoclassical works, remarking an almost English look and field to this piece that further stands apart.

More to its credit is the impressive range of colors here, matched only by the deft hand it took to achieve these sharp lines and almost impressionistic looks of shading in the colorway variations.

It’s a masterful work of its movement, and it further enjoys a thick body to its pile quite befitting of its rich, saturated ground color—an elegant, historic beauty that also offers a comfortable texture and especially versatile size.

Condition:

This antique Dutch Art Deco rug further enjoys a notably good condition for its age and origin—a particularly uncommon find for rugs of the same provenance, among many elements speaking to its collectible nature. See less