Soumak

Ashley Havinden (1903 – 1973)

Jean Lurçat (1892-1966)

A French artist born in Bruyères, France 1892, Jean Lurçat has been hailed as the father of modern tapestry, revitalizing their popularity during the twentieth century. He spend his academic years at the Académie Colarossi, where he studied along pupils such as Paul Cezanne, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Henri Matisse. Much of his early work drew heavily from avant-garde and Cubist direction.

The fame of the finely-crafted decorative rugs from the city of Tabriz can be traced back to at least the 16th century when the Safavid court commissioned these extraordinary carpets for use in palaces, holy sites, and tombs. The famed Ardebil Carpet, long housed in London’s Victoria & Albert Museum, is considered the finest extant example of 16th century Tabriz carpet weaving.