Modern flatweaves, here just wefts and warps, have continued vintage traditions, working in full-width bands, but with simplified and softened tones, and let abrash (semi-intentional color variation) create ripples, water or sand effects. Aerial perspective is suggested by varying the band width. Hemp (a vegetal cellulosic fibre) takes dyes differently from wool (animal protein fibre). The absorption effects are particularly important in such a carpet as this, where the divisions are subtle, not sharp. Hemp rugs are a recent innovation and hemp is particularly suited as a flatweave material.
Sandy beaches and rippling placid water, receding into the distance are the keys here. No two bands are alike in color and they could not be since the wefts constantly change. The speckled effect in the lowest panel gradually blurs out as if the “ground” is moving away from the viewer, toward a sandy beach, and a lake or bay with wavelets diminishing in the distance. A banded sky with stretches of blue between light clouds rises above. But this is just one interpretation. Perhaps you don’t see water or sand at all. You don’t have to see anything. Maybe just a soft, somewhat hazy chromatic effect. And how do you position furnishings on a beach and water? Such modern rugs suggest only in a way totally opposite from the firm direction of traditional antique rugs. These latter insist, whereas this piece suggests that you take off your shoes and enjoy the texture, sand, water, whatever. This is a great carpet for a beach house. Right in the spirit of things and easy to maintain. Just hose it off and dry it in the sun. Sandaliferous. A beach before you get to the beach. Varying width tonal bands of abrashed blue, sand and straw. As new condition.
