A rare Amritsar/Agra carpet.

12ft 11in (394cm) x 9ft 7in (293cm)

This rare example was woven during the second half of the 19th century, the design has been taken from the Persian original popular during the reign of Shah Abbas I (1588-1620) and woven in Isfahan, called Polonaise, though the colour is typically Indian.

With the expansion of the Empire and the subsequent increase in demand of exotic goods from the new territories, the British Raj was able to supervise and control production of carpets in India. Agra became the main center where the jail was noted for the fine carpets woven by the inmates, though other workshops also existed. Commissions were received from many stately homes and also for the new mercantile classes, which had emerged in Victorian England. The Allcrofts at Stokesay Court, Shropshire, commissioned a particularly fine set of six Agra carpets for the principal rooms.

Carpets of this nature were considered as furniture and reflected the power of the Establishment. The present carpet has a design and colouring that we have not encountered before and with the use of white in the stems, creates movement and a certain rhythmic flow.