COVER’s 50 best rugs: Jan Kath chosen by Jim Ffrench

We asked influential people in the world of handmade carpets to without prejudice name the best rug since the first issue of COVER, 13 years ago. Jim Ffrench from Beauvais Carpets chose ‘Make Rugs Not War’ by Jan Kath.

For the 50th edition of COVER, we asked influential people in the world of handmade carpets to without prejudice name the best rug since the first issue 13 years ago. Jim Ffrench from Beauvais Carpets chose Make Rugs Not War by Jan Kath.

‘When I was first approached, I thought, “Oh, what an easy task”. Upon thinking about it seriously though, I realised that with the multitudes of designs, textures, ideas etc., it all really becomes a blur; even amongst the pieces that I am most proud of as a dealer and maker—Beauvais’ own production. However, there is one rug from the Carpet Design Awards at Domotex that has always stuck in my mind. This piece from the Tagged Collection is a fairly faithful hand-knotted reproduction of a Mamluk carpet over-tufted with a repetitive line of script, “Make Rugs Not War”, with a singular expletive in one corner. It may not be the most complementary decorative accessory for an interior, but it has always represented to me the conceit of working outside the box. Whether intended by Jan or not, there is a cheeky irreverence to the idea of desecrating an iconic design with a contemporary-style graffiti tag.’