Italian rugs

Italy was never a rug weaving country. Her weavers pro­duced silks, velvets and damasks. Some tapestries were made there, but most of her floorcoverings were brought from the near-by Orient.

Some of the mountain people who needed warm bed coverings and floor mats produced rugs not unlike the Spanish Alpujarras, with a combination of looped and flat pile.

A few knotted rugs were made too, and some simple flat weaves.

The patterns were stiff geometric forms, angular animals, birds and flowers. Colors were mostly primary blues, reds, and yellows, with much white or cream wool.