Description
At Doris Leslie Blau you can find not only a collection of Antique Aubusson rugs, but also a line of Aubusson-inspired carpets, among which we can distinguish some of Eric Cohler's aubusson-style floor coverings. Traditional Aubusson rugs originated in a town in south-central France – Aubusson. Initially, the region was known mostly for its tapestry, but from the mid-16th until the 19th century, the carpet weaving had been flourishing there.
One of the characteristics of the early Aubusson rugs is a strong and vivid palette of colors. However, in the course of time, the colors tended to be more and more subtle. The typical motifs of Aubusson rugs are center medallions and lyrical floral patterns. Some other typical designs can be distinguished depending on a particular period. For instance, during the reign of Louis XV, Aubussons featured brightly colored floral motifs in bouquets, baskets insets in oval-shaped garlands and rosettes within octagons and floral garlands. On the other hand, under Louise XVI, they usually displayed crowns of flowers, leaves and ribbons on a dark brown ground. The word Aubusson is sometimes interchangeably used with a flat-woven French carpet. Those unique floor-coverings are known to be one of the most recognizable French rugs and have always been associated with refinement and luxury. Plenty of Aubussons are of substantial sizes, and it is not surprising if we bear in mind that they used to be placed mostly on aristocracy's floors.
Those who were affluent wished to impress their guests and show their status also through the size of the carpet that would give the impression of splendor and majesty. The reason for the French aristocracy being so enthusiastic about these carpets was undoubtedly their similarity to pile Savonnerie rugs which were out of their reach. Savonnerie rugs could only be made for King's palaces at the time. In our collection of new Aubusson rugs we present a great choice of those remarkable floor coverings.
One of the characteristics of the early Aubusson rugs is a strong and vivid palette of colors. However, in the course of time, the colors tended to be more and more subtle. The typical motifs of Aubusson rugs are center medallions and lyrical floral patterns. Some other typical designs can be distinguished depending on a particular period. For instance, during the reign of Louis XV, Aubussons featured brightly colored floral motifs in bouquets, baskets insets in oval-shaped garlands and rosettes within octagons and floral garlands. On the other hand, under Louise XVI, they usually displayed crowns of flowers, leaves and ribbons on a dark brown ground. The word Aubusson is sometimes interchangeably used with a flat-woven French carpet. Those unique floor-coverings are known to be one of the most recognizable French rugs and have always been associated with refinement and luxury. Plenty of Aubussons are of substantial sizes, and it is not surprising if we bear in mind that they used to be placed mostly on aristocracy's floors.
Those who were affluent wished to impress their guests and show their status also through the size of the carpet that would give the impression of splendor and majesty. The reason for the French aristocracy being so enthusiastic about these carpets was undoubtedly their similarity to pile Savonnerie rugs which were out of their reach. Savonnerie rugs could only be made for King's palaces at the time. In our collection of new Aubusson rugs we present a great choice of those remarkable floor coverings.