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Aubusson Bizarre. The Weave and the Weft of the Orient

The Aubusson carpet with bizarre patterns, with flowers, leaves and shelves on a black background, comes from a small production from the end of 1800.
Few examples are known around the world. Two identical Aubussons in a perfect state of preservation are a very rare occasion in the world of antiques and furnishings. In France, at the end of Seventeenth century, a longing for the Orient exploded onto the scene.
Growing business and exchange of materials with India and China were changing the fashions and the tastes of people. This was happening so quickly that Louis XIV became alarmed by it and in 1686 issued laws forbidding French citizens to wear clothes in Indian cotton. At the same time, France attempted to satisfy the desire for exotic patterns by creating them at home, in France, and creating materials that would comply with domestic modern tastes. The results were “bizarre silks”. They were used to make clothes, curtains and carpets.
At that time, the term “bizarre” did not actually exist and the exotic silks were defined as being “Oriental silks”; over the years, the term “bizarre” erroneously became synonymous of Baroque and later of Rococo.
Only in 1947, the art historian, Vilhelm Sloman made a distinction between the various periods of art and coined the term that describes this unusual naturalistic style made up of flowers, fruit and leaves that grow over shells or pedestals, strewn all over the place, at the freest of wills and breaking all those rules appertaining to the idea of a symmetrical compositional order.
The bizarre effect follows Revel’s “point-rentre” technique that manages to give a sense of naturalism and 3D effect. The result is achieved by a highly intelligent system of two-colour threads that blend perfectly and are thus able to reproduce a variety of hues and shades thanks to which sensations of deepness, relief and naturalness are made possible.
Aubussons are plain weave tapestries and their manufacture has different characteristics according to the historical period in which they were produced.
In 1500, the neutral colour field is enriched with naturalistic decorations, vegetables, flowers and animals with allegorical allusions. In 1600, there was Oriental decoration, in 1700 Romanticism and the bizarre patterns of the Rococo and in 1800, bucolic scenes triumphed onto the carpets. The period of the Directoire and the War brought about a scarcity of floral patterns in favour of a tendency for more geometrical shapes. Under Napoleon, motifs from Ancient Rome predominated and there was a tendency to recreate the fasts and grandness of Empires past. A motif that was typical of Charles X was the central medallion with a green background and rosettes. With Louis Philippe, there was a preference for chromatic splendour and under Napoleon III the ornamentation drew inspiration from architectural themes: they depict the stucco work on the ceilings of noble palaces, in subdued tones but lit up by a touch or two of red.