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Rugs and Carpets For Sale
Period: 19th Century
Period: 18th Century and Earlier
Period: 18th Century
Antique Beige Turkish Oushak Rug, 13 x 16
Located in New York, NY
13' x 16'. Delicate botanical patterns woven in soft rose and creams cover the central field on this antique Oushak rug from Turkey. A border of palmettes and repeating floral patter...
Category

19th Century Turkish Oushak Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool

Red Oversized Antique Persian Heriz Serapi Rug 15 4" x 26 8"
Located in New York, NY
Beautiful Red Oversized Antique Persian Heriz Serapi Rug, Country Of Origin: Persia, Circa Date: 1880
Category

Late 19th Century Persian Heriz Serapi Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool

17th Century Brussels Verdure Landscape Tapestry in Chinoiserie Style
Located in New York, NY
A Brussels verdure landscape tapestry from the 17th century, featuring a verdant landscape with stately and exotic trees at right, a striking acanthus bush in the foreground, and a l...
Category

17th Century Belgian Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool

Antique Circa 1890 Persian Feraghan Rug, 7 9 x 11 3
Located in New York, NY
7'9 x 11'3. Fereghan in west Persia came to prominence in the 18th century under the rule of Shah Nadir who exerted an influence on its weaving and production. The carpets from this ...
Category

19th Century Persian Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool

19th Century S.E. Persian Afshar Paisley Carpet ( 4 2" x 6 3" - 127 x 191 )
Located in New York, NY
Botehs of all sizes fill the navy blue field of this c. 1900 antique rug,. but especially giant fringed cones facing left and right. A few small animals add to the rustic informality...
Category

1890s Persian Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool

Antique Sultan s Head Silk Kashan Meditation Rug Garden Of Paradise
Located in Santa Barbara, CA
This Antique Sultan's Head Silk Meditation Rug: Garden of Paradise – 3'4" x 5'6" is a breathtaking work of art, blending exquisite craftsmanship with symbolic meaning. The Garden of ...
Category

Late 19th Century Persian Islamic Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool

19th Century Persian Bahshaeish Rug
Located in Norwalk, CT
Antique Persian Bahshaeish rug (1890's) with a traditional medallion design in blue and cream on a red field. Measures approximately 11 feet 4 inches by 18 feet 5 inches. Rug #10212224
Category

1890s Persian Bakshaish Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool

Nazmiyal Collection Antique Persian Bakshaish Rug 11 ft 7 in x 15 ft 3 in
Located in New York, NY
Beautiful Large Antique Persian Serapi Rug, Country of Origin: Persia, Circa Date: 1880
Category

19th Century Persian Heriz Serapi Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool

Zabihi Collection Hadji Jalili Tabriz 19th Century Antique Rug
Located in New York, NY
A remarkable late 19th-century Persian Tabriz rug woven by Hadji Jalili workshop in the city of Tabriz. 4'6'' x 5'11'' The name of the master weaver, Hadji Jallili, lives on as pe...
Category

19th Century Persian Tabriz Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool, Cotton

19th Century Caucasian Shirvan Area Rug in All Over Pattern in Navy, Ivory. Rust
Located in Barrington, IL
This exceptional late 19th century Caucasian Shirvan area rug exemplifies the artistry and enduring beauty of village weaving from the Caucasus Mountains. Hand-knotted using high-qua...
Category

Late 19th Century Caucasian Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool

Zabihi Collection 19th Century Museum Caliber Mohtasham Kashan Rug
Located in New York, NY
Museum Quality astonishing mid-19th century Mohtasham Kashan Rug. This carpet is just as gorgeous today as when it was woven 175 years ago, remarkably remaining in exceptional heavie...
Category

Late 19th Century Persian Kashan Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool

Antique Persian Pictorial Mohtasham Kashan Rug 2 1" x 2’8”
Located in New York, NY
Antique Persian Pictorial Mohtasham Kashan Rug 2'1" x 2’8”. The Revival Period rugs woven by two generations of Mohtashams, from 1880 to WWI, with imported Manchester-spun, Australia...
Category

Late 19th Century Persian Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool, Cotton

Beautiful Red Ground Color with Geometric Design Antique Caucasian Kazak Rug
Located in New York, NY
19th Century Caucasian Kazak Carpet ( 4'10 "x 7' - 147 x 213 )
Category

1890s Caucasian Kazak Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool

Antique Handwoven Caucasian Rug
Located in Delray Beach, FL
Beautiful antique handwoven Caucasian rug Russia made of wool With intriguing geometric motifs of flowers all over. Four fantastic medallion in the center, and great vibrant antique colors...
Category

1880s Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool

Antique Turkish Sivas Square Rug
Located in New York, NY
A magnificent square shaped formal antique Turkish rug containing a pretty array of jewel tones, an isolated central medallion and an amazing wide border. The border is almost 30 inc...
Category

19th Century Turkish Agra Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool

The Collector’s Heirloom: A Late 19th Century Anatolian Oushak Masterpiece
Located in Dallas, TX
73159 Rare Antique Turkish Oushak Rug, 10'01 x 13'09. Steeped in the grandeur of Anatolia’s weaving tradition, this hand-knotted wool antique Turkish Oushak rug from the Late 19th Ce...
Category

Late 19th Century Turkish Aesthetic Movement Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool

Choir Carpet from the Aubusson Manufacture – 19th Century – No. 1578
Located in Paris, FR
Period: 19th century Condition: Excellent Material: Wool & Silk Dimensions: 470 x 113 cm This magnificent carpet, having undergone a deep cleaning and a meticulous inspection by our...
Category

19th Century French Aubusson Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool, Silk

Tapestry Royal Manufacture of Aubusson, Louis XVI period 1738 at the Gobelins
Located in Madrid, ES
Tapestry from the Royal Manufacture of Aubusson, Louis XVI period , made in 1738 at the Gobelins One panel from a series of Gobelins tapestries depicting the History of Esther, illustrating Esther seated and attended by handmaidens, one washing her feet in golden basin, another fastening a bracelet, another offering a mirror, all observed by Mordecai, woven in the workshop of Michele Audran after a design by J. F. de Troy. The Toilet of Esther c.1778-85.Royal Collection Trust-Queens Audience Chamber Windsor Castle The Sketches for the Esther Cycle by Jean-François de Troy (1736) “and the maid was fair and beautiful; whom Mor’decai, ..., took for his own daughter.” (Est. 2:7) A supple and undulating genius, both a flattering portraitist and a prolix history painter, as well as a brilliant genre painter, in a gallant or worldly vein, Jean-François de Troy (Paris, 1679 – Rome, 1752), solicited, although he had passed the threshold of old age, a new royal commission up to his ambitions. To obtain it, he submitted – successfully - for the approval of the Bâtiments du roi (administration), seven modelli painted in 1736 with his usual alacrity. Inspired by one of the most novelistic texts of the Old Testament, the Book of Esther, these sketches in a rapid and virtuoso manner were transformed by the artist, between 1737 and 1740 into large cartoons intended to serve as models for the weavers of the Gobelins factory. Showing undeniable ease and skill in the composition in perfect harmony with the sensitivities of the times, the tapestry set met with great success. The Story of Esther perfectly corresponded to the plan of the Bâtiments du roi to renew the repertoire of tapestry models used for the weavers of the royal factories while it also conformed to the tastes of Louis XV’s subjects for a fantastical Orient, the set for a dramatic tale in which splendour, love and death were combined. Indeed, no tapestry set was woven in France during the 18th century as often as that of Esther. The series of modelli painted by de Troy during the year 1736 looks to the history of French painting and decoration under Louis XV as much as it does the history of the Gobelins. It probably counts among the most important rococo pictorial groups to have remained in private hands. First the Biblical source illustrated by De Troy which constitutes the base of one of the richest iconographical traditions of Western art will be considered. Then the circumstances and specific character of French civilisation during the reigns of Louis XIV and Louis XV which contributed to making the theme of Esther a relevant subject, both attractive to contemporaries and remarkably in line with the sensitivities of the time will be elucidated. An examination of the exceptional series of sketches united here, the cartoons and the tapestries that they anticipate as well as a study of their reception will close this essay. The Book of Esther: A scriptural source at the source of rich iconography. The origin of the Esther tapestry set by Jean-François de Troy – origin and creation of a masterpiece According to the evidence of one of the artist’s early biographers, the chevalier de Valory, author of a posthumous elegy of the master, read at the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture on 6 February 1762, it was apparently due to early16 rivalry with François Lemoyne (1688-1737), his younger colleague who had precisely just been appointed First Painter to the King in 1736, that had encouraged François de Troy to seek a commission allowing him to show off his ease and his promptitude at the expense of a rival who was notoriously laborious: “M. De Troy, retaining some resentment of the kind of disadvantage which he believed to have suffered compared with his emulator looked to regain some territory by making use of the facility his rival did not possess. Lemoyne was excessively long in the creation of his works,and M. De Troy of a rare celerity: consequently, with this particular talent, the latter offered to the court to make paintings appropriate to be executed at the Gobelins Factory; and it is to this circumstance that we owe the beautiful series of the Story of Esther, which would be sufficient alone to give him a great reputation.”17 Beyond the suspicion inspired by the topos, which still constitutes, more or less, a tale of rivalries between artists in ancient literature, there is probably some truth in what Valory reports although A.-J. Dezalier d’Argenville (who indicates rather spitefully that de Troy did not hesitate to “cut prices” to impose himself, benefitting from the productivity assured by the unlikely rapidity of his brush)18 proves to be more evasive: “As he looked to busy himself, he had offered to make the paintings that serve as models for the King’s tapestries cheaply: which did not please his colleagues. He was given a choice of two tapestry series to be made and he took the Story of Esther and that of Jason”.19 Whether or not the choice was actually left to de Troy (which would appear rather casual on the royal administration’s part all the same), it seems likely that the artist, whose contemporaries extol his “fire”, as the faculty of invention was then called, must have ardently aspired to the possibility of using on a very large scale the “creative genius” with which Dezallier d’Argenville credits him. The decoration of the private apartments, the fashion for which Louis XV had promoted at Versailles and Fontainebleau, offered little opportunity to excel in this area. Other than painting for altarpieces, only tapestries could allow comparison with Lemoyne who had been granted – unfortunately for him – a major decoration: the enormous ceiling of the Hercules Room at Versailles. Favoured by the recent improvement in France’s financial situation, the revival of patronage offered de Troy a commission fitting for him, in a field in which, however, he had hardly any experience. Anxious to renew the repertoire of models available to the Gobelins factory, the Duc d’Antin, surintendant des Bâtiments du roi from 1708 to 1736 followed by his successor, Philibert Orry comte de Vignory, gave him the task of producing seven large cartoons inspired by the Book of Esther corresponding to the brilliant sketches or modelli which de Troy had produced in one go, or almost (very few preparatory drawings can in fact be linked to the Esther cycle and all seem to be at the execution stage of the cartoons).20 Subjected to the approval of the Administration des Bâtiments according to the procedure in use for projects being planned for the Gobelins, sketches made rapidly during 1736 were approved and the project launched immediately. Thereupon came the news of François Lemoyne’s death, who, ground down by work and a victim of his private torment, committed suicide on 4 June 1737. Against all expectations, de Troy did not replace his rival in the position of First Painter (which remained vacant until the appointment of Charles Coypel in January 1747), which would perhaps have made him too obviously the beneficiary of the drama. The awarding of the position of Director of the French Academy in Rome came to console him while he had already produced (or he was in the process of finishing), in Paris, three of the seven cartoons of the cycle (The Fainting of Esther finished in 1737 and the Toilet and Coronation of Esther, both finished in 1738). De Troy, we can see, did not follow the order of the narrative but began with the subjects which apparently offered the least difficulty because he had already depicted them, or because they fall into a strong pictorial tradition (such is the case especially for the Fainting of Esther). He had hardly settled at the Palazzo Mancini in August 1738, when his first task which awaited the new director of the French Academy naturally consisted of honouring the royal commission and finishing without delay the final cartoons of the Story of Esther after the sketches he must have taken with him. As prompt as ever, de Troy discharged himself of the execution of the four remaining cartoons in only two years, by beginning with the largest format which allowed him to strike the imagination and to impose himself as soon as he arrived on the Roman stage: the Triumph of Mor’decai which was finished in 1739 (like Esther’s Banquet). The following year, the Mor’decai's Disdain and The Sentencing of Haman were brought to an end in the same Neo-Venetian style, obviously tributary to Veronese with its choice of “open” monumental architecture which is characteristic of the entire cycle.21 The series, it should be noted, was almost augmented with some additional scenes in the mid 1740s. Indeed, the first tapestry set finished at the Gobelins in 1744 proved to be unsuitable for the arrangement of the Dauphine’s apartments at Versailles for which it had been intended to decorate the walls the following year (cf infra). Informed of this, de Troy, considering that the story of Esther offered “several good subjects,” immediately offered to illustrate one or new subject among those “which could appear to be the most interesting”. The directeur des Bâtiments Orry, who managed the State’s accounts, obviously judged it less costly to have one of the tapestries widened to fill in the end of the Dauphine’s bedroom,22 which has probably deprived us of very original compositions, because de Troy had already illustrated the most famous themes, those that benefitted from a strongly established iconographical tradition and from which it was not easy to deviate The Tapestry Set of the Story of Esther Placed on the tapestry looms of the Gobelins at the end of the 1730s in Michel Audran’s workshop, the cycle created by de Troy aroused true infatuation. The few hundred tapestries made between 1738 and 1797 – all in high-warp tapestry and woven in wool and silk except for four in low-warp made in Neilson’s workshop – show the impressive success of a tapestry set that was without any doubt the most frequently woven of the 18th century in France. 29 Only three cartoons had been delivered by de Troy in 1738 when the first tapestry set was begun by Audran under the expert eye of Jean-Baptiste Oudry to whom the Directeur général des bâtiments, Philibert Orry had assigned the (weekly) supervision of the weaving. During the summer of 1738, the piece of the Fainting of Esther, which Oudry judged to be admirable, was finished. During the winter of 1742, Oudry informed Orry that about two ells of the Triumph of Mor’decai had been made “with no faults”,that the Coronation of Esther was finished and that the Esther at her Toilet “a very gracious tapestry” was “a little over half” finished. Exhibited at Versailles in 1743, these two last pieces were admired by Louis XV and the Court. On 3 December 1744, the set of seven tapestries was finally delivered to the Garde Meuble. It was intended, the honour was not slight, to decorate the apartments of the Infanta Maria Teresa Rafaela of Spain whose marriage to the young Dauphin Louis-Ferdinand had been fixed for the following year (it took place on 23 February 1745). Apparently it was thought that the theme of Esther the biblical heroine and wife of a foreign sovereign was appropriate for the apartments of the Spanish Dauphine. As early as the month of March, the architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel informed de Troy that her grand cabinet was decorated with the “Esther tapestry set” specifying however that “for lack of two small or one large piece, we have not been able to decorate the end of the room”. This difficulty led immediately to the Banquet episode being woven a second time in two parts (they were delivered to the Garde-Meuble on 30 December 1746) to garnish the panels on each side of the bed of the Dauphine who would hardly enjoy them (she died on 22 July 1746 and the decoration was installed for the new Dauphine Maria Josepha of Saxony). The appearance of the set’s remarkable border, which imitated a richly sculpted wooden frame, should be mentioned. Conceived in 1738 by the ornamentalist Pierre Josse-Perrot and used in the later weavings until 1768, it tended to reinforce the resolutely painterly appearance of the tapestry set which, in this regard, pushed the art of tapestry as far as its ultimate mimetic possibilities. With the exception of Mor’decai's Disdain which had been removed earlier, the “editio princeps” of the story of Esther (from then on in nine pieces) remained at Versailles until the Revolution. Of the eight surviving tapestries, four are at the chateau of Compiègne and four belong today to the Mobilier National. No less than seven tapestry sets reputed to be complete (one of them in fact only had six tapestries) would be produced officially at the Gobelins up to 1772. Literature: 1- The Œuvres mêlées of an emulator of Racine, the Abbé Augustin NADAL thus include an Esther. Divertissement spiritual which is exactly contemporary with Jean François de Troy’s cycle since it was performed in 1735 and published in Paris three years later. 2-Le Siècle de Louis XIV, 1751, 1785 ed., p. 96-97 for French ed. 3- Lemoyne and de Troy had been obliged to share the First Prize in the competition organised in 1727 between the most prominent history painters of the Académie Royale. 4- Mémoires…, pub. L. DUSSIEUX et al., 1854, II, p.265. 5-The fact that de Troy, at the risk of falling out with his colleagues, did not hesitate to make use of prices in order to convince the new directeur des Bâtiments Philibert Orry, is confirmed by Mariette who adds tersely “it caused much shouting” (pub. 1851-1860, II, p. 103). 6- Abrégé de la vie des plus fameux peintres…, ed. 1762, IV, p. 368-369 20 Early comments on the painter are inclined to present him as a kind of “pure painter”, doing without the medium of drawing, a few intermediary studies between the Esther sketches and the large cartoons at the Louvre nevertheless show that de Troy used red chalk (see in the catalogue, the notice for the Meal of Esther and Ahasuerus under the entry drawing) to change one or other figure. 7-C. GASTINEL-COURAL (cat. exp. PARIS, 1985, p. 9-13) as well as the article by J. VITTET, exh. cat. LA ROCHE-GUYON, 2001, p. 51-55. 8-The Hermitage in St. Petersburg conserves five tapestries of these two royal gifts whose provenance still awaits elucidation (as far as we are aware). In 1766, the Grand Marshal of Russia, Count Razumovski (or Razamowski), acquired the Fainting and the Banquet extracted from the sixth weaving (J. VITTET, 2001, p. 53). 9- Lettres écrites de Suisse, d’Italie…,quoted by J. VITTET, op. cit., p. 54. 10-The tapestry set remained in the hands of a branch of the Hapsburg-Lorraine family until 1933 (ibid. P. 54). 11-Quoted by Chr. LERIBAULT, 2002, p. 97, note 269. 12-Y. CANTAREL-BESSON, 1992, p. 241. Catalogue The Esther at her Toilet Oil on canvas, 57 x 51 cm Provenance: Painted in 1736 at the same time as the six other modelli of the Story of Esther intended to be presented, for approval, to the direction des Bâtiments du Roi; perhaps identifiable among a lot of sketches by Jean-François de Troy in the post mortem inventory of the amateur, historian and critic Claude-Henri Watelet (1718-1786) drawn up on 13 January 1786 and following days (A.N. T 978, n° 30) then in the sale of the property of the deceased, Paris, 12 June 1786, n° 33; Paris, François Marcille Collection (who owned a series of six sketches from which the Triumph of Mor’decai was missing, see infra); Paris, Marcille Sale, Hôtel Drouot, 12-13 January 1857, n° 36; Asnières, Mme de Chavanne de Palmassy ( ?) collection; Paris, Galerie Cailleux; Paris, Humbert de Wendel collection (acquired from the Galerie Cailleux in 1928); by inheritance in the same family; Paris, Sotheby’s, 23 June 2011, n° 61. In order not to add unnecessarily to the technical commentary on each work, the catalogue raisonné by Chr. Leribault which contains a substantial bibliography on the series should be referred to. The other bibliographical references only concern the publications and exhibitions to have appeared and been presented more recently. Bibliography and Exhibitions: Chr. LERIBAULT, 2002, n° P. 247 (repr.); E. LIMARDO DATURI, 2004, p. 28; Exh. cat. NANTES, 2011, p. 138, n° 34, referred to in note 1; Sotheby’s catalogue, Tableaux anciens et du XIXe siècle, 23 June 2011, n° 61 (repr.). Related Works: Tapestry cartoon: The cartoon (oil on canvas, 329 x 320 cm), the third made by the artist in Paris after the sketches had been approved by the direction des Bâtiments, is in the Louvre (Inv. 8315). It previously bore the painter’s signature and the date 1738 (inscriptions which are found on the tapestries). The royal administration paid 1600 livres for it on 21 June 1738 and it was exhibited at the Salon in the year of its creation. Summary Biography 1679 (27 January): Baptism in Paris (Parish of St. Nicolas du Chardonnet) of Jean-François de Troy, son of the painter François de Troy and Jeanne Cotelle, sister of the painter Jean II Cotelle. 1696-1698: Studies (apparently rather turbulent) at the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture. 1698-1708: First trip to Italy. Is obliged to leave Rome in January 1711 after a tempestuous affair (a duel?), de Troy extends the traditional Roman experience as a pensionnaire at the Académie de France by also visiting Tuscany where he stays for a long time, Venice (his art in face has a strongly Venetian character) and Genoa. 1708: De Troy (whose father had been elected Director of the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture on 7 July) is agréé and immediately received at the Académie with Apollo and Diana Piercing with their Arrows the Children of Niobe (Montpellier, Musée Fabre) on 28 July. 1710: First royal commission, paid for on 10 May (a sketch representing “the Promotion of the Order of the Holy Spirit” for the tapestry series of the History of the King). 1716: Jean-François de Troy is elected Assistant Professor at the Academy. 1720: He is appointed Professor. 1723: The artist creates the double portrait of Louis XV...
Category

Early 18th Century French Baroque Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool, Silk

Antique Kerman Lavar Persian Rug with Grand Mille Fleurs Patterns - Rug Kilim
Located in Long Island City, NY
Made with hand-knotted wool circa 1890-1900, this 7x11 antique Persian rug is an outstanding turn-of-the-century Kerman Lavar rug, and an especially grand example of the "Mille Fleur...
Category

1890s Persian Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool

19th Century Antique Caucasian Shirvan Rug
Located in New York, NY
19th Century Tribal Caucasian Shirvan rug Measures: 3' x 5'4” Antique Caucasian rugs from the Shirvan district village are still considered one of the best decorative and colle...
Category

Late 19th Century Caucasian Kazak Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool

A Gray Background Color With Distinctive Folk Art Style Antique American Rug
Located in New York, NY
19th Century American Hooked Rug ( 7'6" x 8'9" - 228 x 266 )
Category

1870s American Folk Art Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Fabric, Wool

Zabihi Collection 19th Century Worn Antique Caucasian Soumac Flatweave
Located in New York, NY
Square size accent size Soumac worn/distressed flatweave from the middle of the 19th century Details rug no. j4258 size 5' 4" x 6' 2" (163 x 188 cm)
Category

Mid-19th Century Persian Tribal Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool

Mid-1800s Oversized Palace Chinese Rug Museum Quality Large Chinese Rug 13x18
Located in New York, NY
Rare Oversize Antique Peking Chinese Art Deco Rug Blue 12'10" x 17'6" 391cm x 534cm "THIS RUG IS EXQUISITE!!! It is a rare oversize Antique Chinese ...
Category

1870s Chinese Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool

Antique Kazak Rug 3 1 x 3 9
Located in New York, NY
Antique Kazak Rug 3'1'' x 3'9''.
Category

Late 19th Century Caucasian Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool

Antique Kazak Rug 3
1

 x 3
9
Antique Kazak Rug 3
1

 x 3
9
$3,160 Sale Price
20% Off
Handmade Antique Persian Sarouk Rug 4 x 6 , 1890s - 2B94
Located in Bordeaux, FR
An exceptionally rare and elegant example of pre-1900 Persian artistry, this antique Sarouk rug (c. 1890s) is a masterful work, highly coveted for its sophisticated composition and e...
Category

1890s French Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool

Original William Morris Hammersmith Rug woven 1885
Located in Santa Barbara, CA
The William Morris 'Hammersmith' Carpet - 5'7" x 9'5" is a magnificent piece of British textile history, hand-knotted for Morris Co. and designed by the renowned artist John ...
Category

1880s English Arts and Crafts Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Cotton, Wool

19th Century Uzbek Bukhara Suzani Textile, Embroidered Wall Tapestry
Located in Dallas, TX
78197 Rare 19th Century Antique Uzbek Bukhara Suzani Tapestry, 03'07 x 05'00. Behold the Mid-19th Century Antique Uzbek Bukhara Suzani Tapestry, a rare and resplendent treasure that ...
Category

Mid-19th Century Uzbek Suzani Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Cotton, Silk

Late 19th Century Persian Halvai Bijar Carpet with Traditional Style
Located in Dallas, TX
79080 Late 19th Century Antique Persian Halvai Bijar Rug, 07'06 x 11'10. This hand-knotted wool antique Halvai Bijar rug is an exquisite one-of-a-kind masterpiece, crafted in the lat...
Category

Late 19th Century Persian Jacobean Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool

Large Antique Eye Dazzler Navajo Carpet, Handmade, Wool, Beige, Tan, Gray Red
Located in Port Washington, NY
Navajo rugs and blankets are textiles produced by Navajo people of the four corners area of the United States. Navajo textiles are highly rega...
Category

Late 19th Century North American Navajo Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool

Persian Circa 1880 Red Sultanabad Rug Carpet, 10 3 X 13 10
Located in New York, NY
10'3 x 13'10. Bold overall patterns were a specialty of the Manchester-based Ziegler Company in Sultanabad in the 1900 epoch. Although the patterns are clearly “oriental”, they do no...
Category

19th Century Persian Sultanabad Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool

Nice antique Caucasian shirwan rug
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Nice late 19th century Caucasian shirvan rug with beautiful geometrical and stylized designs and nice natural colours with dark brown field, orange, red, blue, and white, entirely an...
Category

Late 19th Century Azerbaijani Kazak Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool

18th Century Antique Indian Medieval Tapestry after the Battle of Karnal in 1739
Located in Dallas, TX
74417 18th Century Antique Indian Medieval Wall Tapestry after the Battle of Karnal in 1739. This beautiful antique Indian painted tapestry is done on a canvas. It features a hunting battle scene with kings, kingsmen and royalty with multiple types of animals ranging from horses, elephants, lions, birds, peacocks and leopards. This tapestry is possibly in relation to The Battle of Karnal in 1739. The Muhammed Shah fought with Nader Shah...
Category

18th Century British Indian Ocean Territory Medieval Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Fabric

Antique Sultanbad Red and Beige Medallion-Style Rug
Located in Long Island City, NY
This antique Sultanabad geometric rug is from a popular family of Sultanabad Rugs. Originating in 1880, the medallion field design features a vine scroll border and a red and buttery...
Category

1880s Persian Sultanabad Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool

Palace-Size Antique Oushak Carpet, Turkish Handmade Oriental Rug Gray Blue Coral
Located in Port Washington, NY
West Anatolia is one of the largest weaving regions in Turkey. Since the 15th century, Turkish rugs have always been on top of the list for having fine oriental rugs. Oushak rugs su...
Category

19th Century Turkish Oushak Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool

Decorative Mid 20th C Neutral Samarkand Suzani with Pinks
Located in Istanbul, TR
This is a large mid 20th C, suzani embroidered with cotton with soft colours. This is a vintage and used item therefore not in brand new condition.   
Category

Mid-19th Century Uzbek Suzani Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Cotton

Wonderful antique silk and golden metal Chinese rich Embroidery
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Very beautiful and antique Chinese embroidery with beautiful design with birds, dogs, symbols and scriptures, and with nice natural colours with a red brown background, entirely hand...
Category

19th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Metal

17th Century Brussels Historical Tapestry Panel
Located in New York, NY
A Brussels historical tapestry panel from the 17th century, allegorically depicting Cleopatra with an asp at center left, and another woman, possibly Cleopatra’s handmaiden, Charmian, at center right with a large fishing hook...
Category

17th Century Belgian Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool

Doris Leslie Blau Antique French Gobelins Tapestry Rug
Located in New York, NY
Antique French Gobelins Tapestry Rug Size: 11'8" × 13'5" (355 × 408 cm) This magnificent 18th-century French Gobelins tapestry rug exemplifies the height of Louis XIV-era craftsmansh...
Category

Early 18th Century French Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Other

Collectible 17th Century Antique French Silk Verdure Tapestry 10 x 12 5"
Located in New York, NY
Charming Collectible 17th Century Antique French Silk And Wool Animal Design Verdure Tapestry, Country of origin: France, Circa date: 17th Century
Category

17th Century French Romantic Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool, Silk

1880s Multicolor Tribal Tree N.W Persian Bakshaiesh Rug 7 4"x8 Square Carpet
Located in New York, NY
19th Century N.W. Persian "Bakshaiesh" Carpet ( 7'4" x 8' - 224 x 244 ) This example of 19th-century weaving showcases the robust, tribal aesthetic characteristic of early Iranian ...
Category

1880s Persian Bakshaish Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool

Flemish Armorial Tapestry, Late 16th Century, Renaissance
Located in Vienna, AT
A Flemish armorial tapestry. Late 16th century, possibly Spanish Woven in wools, depicting the arms of the Abbasid dynasty, combined with those of ...
Category

16th Century Spanish Renaissance Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Cotton

Antique Persian Lavar Kerman Rug 4’6" x 6’1"
Located in New York, NY
Antique Persian Lavar Kerman Rug 4’6" x 6’1". A trade term applied to better quality pre-WWI Kermans. ‘Laver’ is corruption of ‘Ravar’, a town near Kerman city, reputed to have woven...
Category

Late 19th Century Persian Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool, Cotton

Zabihi Collection Large Square Antique Turkish Ghiordes Worn Rug
Located in New York, NY
a late 19th-century worn Square Turkish Oushak Ghiordes Rug. Ivory and soft red Details rug no. j4075 size 12' 4" x 13' 10" (376 x 422 cm
Category

Late 19th Century Turkish Egyptian Revival Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool

French Aubusson Rug 19th century – 138x182 – No. 1584
Located in Paris, FR
Rug From The Aubusson Manufactory, Napoleon III Period: 19th century Condition: Perfect condition Material: Wool This magnificent carpet, having benefited from a deep cleaning ...
Category

1860s French Aubusson Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool

Zabihi Collection Antique Persian Bakshaish Rug
Located in New York, NY
3rd quarter of the 19th century Persian Bakshaish Large Room size tribal rug Measures: 12'4" x 14'7'.
Category

Late 19th Century Persian Bakshaish Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool

Antique White Ground Tibetan Khaden Rug with Black Stepped Diamonds
Located in Milan, IT
A rare and elegant Tibetan rug in the khaden format distinguished by a snow white background decorated by an infinite repeat of parallel and offset rows of black stepped diamonds...
Category

1880s Tibetan Tibetan Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool

Antique French Aubusson Rug
Located in New York, NY
Antique French Aubusson rug France, circa 1870 Handwoven.
Category

Late 19th Century French Aubusson Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool

Fantastic Late 19th Century Kazak Rug
Located in Chicago, IL
An unbelievable late 19th century Persian Kazak rug with an all-over styled floral pattern woven in light and dark indigo, crimson, and white vegetable dyed wool on a brilliant gold ...
Category

Late 19th Century Azerbaijani Kazak Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool

19th Century French Aubusson Carpet ( 12 x 15 6" - 365 x 472 )
Located in New York, NY
19th Century French Aubusson Carpet ( 12' x 15'6" - 365 x 472 )
Category

1890s French Aubusson Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool

16th Century Antique Flemish Tapestry. 10 ft 2 in x10 ft 9in
Located in New York, NY
16th Century Antique Flemish Silk And Wool Tapestry, Country Of Origin: Belgium, Circa Date: 16th Century. Size: 10 ft 2 in x 10 ft 9 in (3.1 m x 3.28 m)
Category

16th Century Belgian Renaissance Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool, Silk

Rare Antique Rug Caucasian Runner Hand Made Carpet Living Room Rugs Stair Runner
Located in Wembley, GB
Handmade Carpet Caucasian runner rug unique and vintage rugs carpet runner is primarily produced as city productions pieces. Made from mat...
Category

1880s Caucasian Rustic Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool, Organic Material

Large Antique Persian Heriz Serapi Rug Geometric Antique Heriz 244cm x 325cm
Located in New York, NY
Antique Handmade Rug Carpet Traditional Rug 8x11 Wool Rug 244cm x 325cm "This is a magnificent hand knotted, antique tribal rug. Incredible handmade piece, adding flavor and charact...
Category

1880s Persian Heriz Serapi Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool

17th Century Small Size Persian Khorassan Rug. 4 ft 5 in x 5 ft 9 in
Located in New York, NY
Small size 17th century Persian Khorassan rug, Country of Origin / rug type: Persian rug, Circa date 17th century. Size: 4 ft 5 in x 5 ft 9 in (1.35 m x 1.75 m)  
Category

17th Century Persian Khorassan Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool

Handmade Antique Persian Kurdish Collectible Rug 3.7 x 9.4 1870s - 1N77
Located in Bordeaux, FR
Authentic Tribal Legacy: Antique Handmade Persian Kurdish Rug Uncover the rich history and bold artistry of this handmade antique Persian Kurdish rug, a truly unique piece woven from...
Category

1870s French Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool

Vintage Turkish Tulu Rug, Orange and Green Checkered Pattern - Rug Kilim
Located in Long Island City, NY
Made with hand-knotted high-pile wool in Turkey, this 5x4 vintage Tulu rug is a distinguished addition to Rug & Kilim’s collection of traditional Turkish textiles. Its warm orange, b...
Category

1660s Turkish Tulu Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool

Large Antique Persian Bakshaish Serapi Rug 12 x 19
Located in Atlanta, GA
Spectacular large antique Persian Bakshaish Serapi rug with beautiful colors and large geometric Medallion. Keivan Woven Arts/ Rug / M14-0201. Large Serapi...
Category

1880s Persian Bakshaish Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool

1880s Medallion Neutral Rose Antique Persian Kerman Rug 11 2" x 20 10 Carpet
Located in New York, NY
Antique Persian Lavar Kerman carpet, size: 11'2" x 20'10". Curvilinear lines arrange floral bursts in this formal medallion based design with a neutral base and deep pink accents.
Category

1880s Persian Kirman Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool

Early 19th Century French Charles X Period Aubusson Carpet (15 8"x16 3"-478x495)
Located in New York, NY
Antique French Aubusson Carpet - 1st Empire Period French 19th century rooms must often have been square since so many carpets of the c...
Category

Early 19th Century French Empire Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool

Late 19th Century Persian Bakh Shaiesh Rug
Located in New York, NY
North-West Persia ca. Late 19th Century 14'7" x 9'1" (445 x 277 cm) Handwoven
Category

Late 19th Century Persian Bakshaish Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool

Zabihi Collection French Tapestry Wall Hanging
Located in New York, NY
A mid 19th century French tapestry fragment wall hanging. Measures: 4'9" x 8'1", mid-19th century.
Category

Mid-19th Century Asian Vienna Secession Antique Rugs and Carpets

Materials

Wool

Antique and Vintage Rugs for Sale: Shop Turkish Rugs, Moroccan Rugs, Indian Rugs and Other Rugs on 1stDibs

Good antique rugs and vintage rugs have made their way into homes across the globe, becoming fixtures used for comfort, prayer and self-expression, so choosing the right area rug is officially a universal endeavor.

In modern usage, “carpet” typically denotes a wall-to-wall floor cushioning that is fixed to the floor. Rugs, on the other hand, are designed to cover a specific area and can easily be moved to new locations. However, the terms are interchangeable in many parts of the world, and, in the end, it won’t matter what you decide to call it.

It’s well known that a timeless Persian rug or vintage Turkish rug can warm any interior, but there are lots of other styles of antique rugs to choose from when you're endeavoring to introduce fresh colors and textures to a bedroom or living room.

Moroccan Berber rugs are not all about pattern. In fact, some of the most striking examples are nearly monochrome. But what these rugs lack in complexity, they make up for in brilliant color and subtle variation. Moroccan-style interiors can be mesmerizing — a sitting room of this type might feature a Moroccan rug, carved wooden screens and a tapestry hung behind the sofa.

Handwoven kilim rugs, known for their wealth of rich colors and unique weaving tradition, are pileless: Whereas the Beni Ourain rugs of Morocco can be described as dense with a thick surface or pile, an authentic kilim rug is thin and flat. (The term “kilim” is Turkish in origin, but this type of textile artistry is practiced all across the Balkans, throughout the Arab world and elsewhere.) 

When it comes to eye-catching floor coverings, the distinctive “medallion” pattern of Oushak rugs has two types of rounded shapes alternating against a rich red or blue background created with natural dyes, while the elaborate “star” pattern involves large eight-pointed shapes in diagonal rows alternating with diamonds.  

If you’re looking for something unexpected, find a runner rug that pops in your hallway or on your stairs. Dig for dazzling geometric patterns in our inventory of mid-century modern rugs and carpets, which includes works designed by the likes of Swedish textile masters Märta Måås-Fjetterström, Marianne Richter and other artisans. 

Carpets and rugs have been around for thousands of years. Prehistoric humans turned to animal skin, wool and fur to craft simple fabrics to soften hard terrain. A 2016 study suggests that "cave lions" were hunted for exactly this purpose, and that decorating your cave with their pelts may have conferred strength and prestige. Although many of these early textiles are still in existence, tracing their precise origins is difficult. Carpets quickly became such a valuable trade commodity that the weavings could easily travel far from their places of origin. 

The oldest known carpet was found in southern Siberia. (It may have traveled there from Persepolis in Iran.) For the flat-weave floor rugs crafted by Native Americans, cotton was the primary material before sheep’s wool was introduced in the 16th century. In Europe, carpet-making was fundamental to folk art, and Asian carpets imported to European countries were at one time considered a precious luxury and not intended to remain permanently on the floor. 

With the variety of area rugs and carpets rolled out for you on 1stDibs — a collection that includes traditional, modern, minimalist rugs and other coverings of all kinds — things will be looking up whenever you’re looking down.