On 13 June we will host what has become a firm favourite in our auction calendar – The Specialist Rugs Auction, which will see the Leonard Room transformed into a woven sea of colours, symbols and crested medallions with an array of fine traditional and contemporary rugs.
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TRADITIONAL
Being from the epicentre of an ancient industry, Persian rugs and their interwoven patterns hold tales of a lost world. In each design you can trace a rug not only to the region where it was made, but even to a specific town or tribe. Shiraz, Tabriz and Qom – areas of Iran with their own culture and story to tell and this is clearly demonstrated in the unique qualities of their craftsmanship. These skills, being passed on from generation to generation, have entered bordering countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. The art of rug making has been reconsidered again and again bringing new life to each interpretation.
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CONTEMPORARY
The contemporary stage – where boundaries are pushed to breaking point and the avant-garde mercilessly neglects tradition. Like art and design, rug making has transcended into new realms since the birth of modernism. Their composition, relief and harmonious colours have been deconstructed and rebuilt in new and exciting ways. Contemporary rugs can follow none of the rules whatsoever: they need no boarder or symmetry and can be fields of colours with no centre point. Old rugs are being bleached, over-dyed and shaved back to expose their skeletons – the pictorial landscape of a rug can now be completely reimagined yet the core foundations of warp and weft have not changed for thousands of years.
TOBY LENNOX-HILTON / Furniture & Interiors Manager
2019