Rug Nº 244 is one of several in the Banco de España Collection featuring empty fields, focussing all the emphasis of the decoration on the edges. The edge decoration is irregularly shaped, broadening at the corners, with highly saturated colours that make it stand out as a bright border on the dark green (almost brownish) background.

The border consists mainly of four complex corner motifs, each comprising a large bowl and two majestic horns of plenty set out symmetrically on each side to form the base of an imaginary equilateral triangle. The first, finished in large rinceaux, springs from a large stalk and extends along the bisector of the angle towards the centre of the field. Inside it are an open pomegranate and a ferronnerie ogive finished in two scrolls. The horns are entwined at their bases and end in large bunches of fruit. The colour scheme is warm gold, but each fruit has its natural colour.

The final element of the edging comprises two cartouches midway along the long sides of the rug. They also have hints of gold, and are surrounded by two wreaths that link up with the fruit from the horns of plenty. The whole composition lies within an outer border decorated with egg-moulding and bead motifs. Around the perimeter of the rug there is a narrow selvedge in the same colour as the main background.

The following manufacturer's marks can be seen in the head-end selvedge: “FÁBRICA NACIONAL DE TAPICES” and “L. STUYCK MADRID”. Two cartoons associated with this design survive in the historical archives of the Real Fábrica de Tapices. The one catalogued as Nº 242 ALF appears to be the older of the two. Its background is dark brown. The other, Nº 71 ALF, has a fairly bright green field. Both feature a central medallion which did not make it to the final production of the rug featured here, but their edging designs are very similar.

Cartoon Nº 242 ALF may well have been produced by Faustino Álvarez Quintana or one of the other artists who worked there during the Republic, such as V. Santos Sanz. Conceptually, its design is reminiscent of other compositions by Álvarez Quintana, who was characterised by a desire to renovate historical styles of decoration. He sought in some cases to modernise Louis XV designs and in others those of old Spanish rugs. The inspiration for this particular rug is not so clear, but it may come from the time of Louis XIV. A note on the cartoon itself alludes to that style, but it is hard to discern the features of the baroque rugs of the Savonnerie here. There may be hints of it in the dark brown background, but neither the graphic style nor the type of rug itself is a real match. The bowls and horns of plenty could date from the period in question, but they are also found in Empire and Restoration period rugs. In any event, the traditional repertoire of decorative motifs is transfigured here by a clear shift towards stylisation and formal abstraction verging on the Art Deco.

The excellent standard of the fabric and the fine definition of the pattern and colour shading conferred by the highlighting technique used (which gives the stalks a precise, polished, bronze-like appearance) heighten the impression that this is a new style of decoration, with forms and colours which are moving gradually but inexorably away from traditional forms.

Antonio Sama