Chris has studied the geometry, color and
structure of these carpets in detail, knot by knot, as
inspiration for the 21st century. The designs are not just
literal copies of specific carpets, or loosely derived modern
interpretations; rather he strives to capture the essence
and character of these patterns, as "ambassadors" from the 15th
century to the 21st, from the East to the West.
Classical Carpets are hand woven
from the highest quality wool, handspun and naturally dyed. They
incorporate the details seen in the old rugs, the colored warps
and wefts, the wide selvedges long kilims and extended warp fringes. They are crafted by
experienced master weavers in cooperative village workshops in
Central Anatolia, where the art of knotted pile carpet has
flourished for centuries. The designs are produced in special
limited editions. As the carpets are hand woven, each one is
unique. Chris is also able to fine tune the details, including
size and colors, to suit a collector's or designer's vision for
a special piece. |
Each carpet is fully documented and
catalogued, including the pattern's provenance, and the wool and
dyes used, and each is signed by the carpet's weavers.
Even though the carpets are handmade works of
art, they are of course also completely functional, as textiles
to use on the floor, to provide a warm, soft and sensuous
surface underfoot (or as table coverings or wall hangings, as we
see in many Renaissance paintings). Classical Carpets is devoted
to making
these designs utilitarian again.
Chris says “We must remember our
infinite debt to the anonymous designers and weavers who first
created and refined these magical designs. As functional
objects, or as gifts to God, as a material manifestation of the richness of the earth, in its
animal and plant life, and the power of the human imagination, these
carpets will never be forgotten.”
|