Rug Industry Favourites: Twenty Rugs from Twenty Years Part 7

Twenty rug retailers and industry figures select their favourite rug from the past twenty years. Here Gretchen Schwilk of Steven King Carpets explains why she chose a rug by Battilossi and Alberto Levi of Alberto Levi Gallery discusses his choice from the Jan Kath archive.

Gretchen Schwilk of Steven King Carpets chooses Ayla by Battilossi

I find this rug inspiring due to the overall sophistication of the carpet and the uniqueness of the weave. To me it has the perfect balance of the complexity of the weave against the restrained palette. The carpet highlights the nuances of a handknotted carpet woven with undyed wool. It has a perfect balance of a classical, historical pattern executed in colours that are for a contemporary buyer. The versatility of the carpet is great, as it can be used in so many applications: in a casual or formal setting, as an elevated, cleanable alternative to sisal, as a large backdrop area carpet or stair runner. To me it is a timeless carpet!

Alberto Levi of Alberto Levi Gallery chooses Milano Raved by Jan Kath

Jan Kath deliberately breaks with conventional styles and abandons strict design rules. One of his most celebrated collections, Erased Classic, consists of patterns borrowed from Italian textiles of the Baroque period, executed texturally by separating the background (the ‘low’ part) from the actual motif (the ‘high’ portion) and reducing the palette to two.

Milano Raved was one of the first patterns he designed for this collection, the background being entirely in pure, natural silk of a specific tonality, while the pattern, which is in raised pile, consists of two strands of white New Zealand wool mixed with one strand of silk. The result was a glorious homage to the past, recreating a decaying fabric pattern in extremely fine and luxurious materials. The Erased Classic collection became a woven paradigm of the Neo-Baroque movement. Rug design would never be the same, as everything seemed possible to make.