Antique Spanish Cuenca Carpet

An antique Spanish Cuenca carpet. The golden yellow is perfectly classic for Spanish carpets, but the dark blue ground is a bit of a surprise. Three fan palmettes define a central vertical axis and a figure-ground ambiguity develops in the side ornaments. The conjoined “S” border has antecedents beginning in the 16^th century. The format is modern, however, unlike the generally long and narrow period carpets.

• Hand-knotted in Spain
• Wool
• One-of-a-kind