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Dating from the
mid 15th century, the Lotto and
Small Pattern Holbein carpets are probably the first carpets
which can be called "classical". Although they share a similar underlying
star/cross and octagon structure, the Lotto pattern comprises
a continuous
arabesque, while the Holbein contains distinct "gul" or
medallion elements. The Lotto pattern is almost always
composed of a yellow vine on a red ground, while the Hobein
guls vary in color within the same carpet, often with varying field ground
colors as well. Some scholars have classified the
Lotto as a sub-type of the Holbein, others see the Lotto pattern as
a orthogonal simplification of earlier curvilinear spiral vine designs,
the originals of which have been lost to history. |
