An antique Agra Carpet India, ca 527 x 443 cm
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Around 1880. The design in the style of 16th century Ottoman Court carpets. A burgundy ground with large polychrome palmettes, leaf vines, flowers and a small medallion. An unusually wide dark brown main border with large medallions, flowers and palmettes.
Abrashes, the brown coloured wool is partly corroded. Some partly harder wear, dirty, stains, some painted areas, colour run areas, repairs.
Provenance
Engestofte castle, Denmark.
More information
During the 19th century, the British Empire grew into one of the largest in history. The 1851 London exhibition (The great exhibition) showed the waste areas of the new empire and several carpets from India was on display. This resulted in a great demand for carpets from Agra.
In 1862 several prison manufactories were established. Weaving studios were established in the Indian prisons where the prisoners were forced to weave carpets as part of their punishment. The prisoners were always instructed by a master weaver. The quality of these carpets is very high. Inspiration was drawn from ancient Anatolian carpets (just like the present carpet) as well as the classic Persian and Mughal carpets from the 16th and 17th centuries.
The most famous of these weaving studios was Agra Jail, near the Taj Mahal, where a huge carpet was woven and placed in the Waterloo Chamber of Windsor Castle. It was presented as a gift to Queen Victoria in 1877 on the occasion of her Imperial Durbar.