A rare Oushak carpet

Garden design, Turkey, c1870.

18ft  x   14ft 8in     :    545cm   x   447cm

Numerous carpets were woven in Western Turkey, mainly in the town of Oushak, under the supervision of Armenian and Greek merchants, working with European firms based in Smyrna, for export to the Western markets.

The  early Victorian period red Turkey carpets became popular throughout Europe, the fashion changed in the latter part of the century and other colours were employed, as demanded by their Western clients. The scale of the designs have been enlarged in keeping with architectural proportions, borders were made wider to balance with the proportions of the rooms.

The present carpet has a rare design based on the Persian Safavid original of a garden with  waterways having stylised fish swimming towards a central fountain, the colouring on a green ground, perhaps reflects the European fondness of nature.