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Classical Carpets, led by the San
Francisco Bay Area architect Christopher Robin Andrews, is dedicated to reviving the antique
carpet designs of Anatolia, some of the rarest and most
celebrated carpets in the world, patterns that have been lost
to the new carpet market since the 17th century.
“The antique originals of these carpets are
extremely rare, they are displayed in the world's finest museums
and art collections. You won’t ever see these carpets on the
floor, they are too valuable!” says Chris. “But the colors and
patterns are so striking and beautiful, we felt they deserved a
revival”.
This rebirth corresponds with current trends
in interior design and fashion, with the movement back to
texture, strong colors and traditional intricate patterns. |
In the last few decades, there has been a
resurgence in the art of making carpets using handspun,
naturally dyed wool. Sparked by the work of chemist Harald
Böhmer and the DOBAG village weaving project in Turkey,
designers and weavers are again using traditional design and
natural materials. Classical Carpets has joined this movement
with its collection of carpets inspired by Anatolian
masterpieces--including the patterns called Lottos and Holbeins,
which are named after the Renaissance painters that were so
struck by these rugs that were traded through Europe, they put
them at the center of their portraits and religious paintings.
“Here we have these 15th and 16th
century paintings, of the Virgin Mary and the baby Jesus,
sitting on carpets that were imported from the Islamic world.
It shows a cross cultural richness that has a lot to teach us.” |
