Carpet, floral design

DateLate 18th or Early 19th Century

OriginGreat Britain, England, Axminster (possibly)

MediumEnglish wool pile and hemp warps and wefts.

Dimensions102" X 166"

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1959-384

DescriptionCarpet: ghiordes knot; approximately 16 knots per square inch; 3 shoots of wefts after each row of knots. Colors: Ground: field-brown, border-yellow-green; Pattern: white, yellow, pink, salmon-red, orange, light green, light blue, medium blue, dark blue, light brown, black-brown. The field has a floral decoration of roses. peonies and other flowers on bushes arranged symmetrically. The border has a series of lozenges alternating with small medallions and connected by horizontal lines.

Construction History
Late 18th or early 19th century: Initial construction
Feb. 1960: Repaired, reinforced, cleaned, and possibly lined by Karekin Beshir (New York, NY)
Apr. - July 1972: Cleaned by hand and repaired by Karekin Beshir (New York, NY)
May - June 1980: Cleaned by Yonan Rug Company Inc. (Richmond, VA)Label TextSpringing up in the mid-18th century, the English hand-knotted carpet industry was composed of a variety of notable British manufactories. Yet, Thomas Whitty's factory in Axminster, which operated until 1828, was so particularly popular that its name was synonymous with the type of carpet it produced---English knotted carpets were therefore generally referred to as “Axminsters.” These fashionable carpets were also imported to America, with "Axminsters" present in many merchant advertisements in early American newspapers.
While visiting Axminster on their way to Exeter in July of 1787, John and Abigail Adams toured the “famous” Axminster carpet factory. John Adams described the operation in his diary, writing, “The building in which this buisness is carried on is by no means equal to an American Barn. The whole Buisness is performd by women and children. The carpets are equally durable with the Turky, but surpass them in coulours and figure....”

Inscription(s)None foundMark(s)None foundProvenanceDates unknown, Frank Partidge & Son, Ltd. (London, UK); Date unknown- 1959, Ohan Berberyan (New York, NY); 1959, sold to Parke-Bernet Galleries, Inc. (New York, NY); 1959-present, purchased by The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation (Williamsburg, VA)