Being an avid student of our industries history, it is always a thrill to learn and do something 'old' that is, at least, 'new' to me. Recently we were contracted to install a figured venetian carpet runner on a stairway.
As we all know, or at least should pretend to know, a venetian carpet is a simple warp faced carpet, woven on a simple loom in sequenced striped designs.
The addition of figures to a venetian carpet would require additional harnesses and treadling sequences and, when finished, would produce a cloth that would be known as an ingrain, not a venetian.
The carpet shown in the photo is what we today would call a hybrid. A cross between two different objects bearing strong similarities to both. Here we have a warped face carpet in a stripe design like a venetian and we also have the addition of a subtle figured pattern, like an ingrain.
This design was taken, with permission, from period archives at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London where it is described as; a figured venetian. So, there you have it. One more piece to the puzzle.
{{and yes Daris, I have saved you a cutting for your backing sets along with a few others. Email me your address when you get a moment and I will get them set out}}
Thanks for letting me share.
Dobby
PS: If the stairway appears skewed, do not adjust your monitor. This stairway is original to the house, circa 1822, and was one of the most out of whack stairs I have ever worked on. In fact, the addition of the runner hides a great amount of the whacky~ness.
