____EUROPEAN CARPET PRODUCTION, FAR FROM DEVELOPING INDEPENDENTLY, DREW INSPIRATION FROM A COMPLEX PATTERN OF INFLUENCES, JOURNEYS AND DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS. THIS WAS PARTICULARLY TRUE IN FRANCE OF THE HIGH RENAISSANCE, WHERE THE PRESTIGE AND VALUE OF ORIENTAL CARPETS PROMPTED THE ESTABLISHMENT OF COURT WEAVING WORKSHOPS. BY THE MID 17TH CENTURY THE MOST FAMOUS OF THESE MANUFACTORIES, LA SAVONNERIE, WAS PRODUCING CARPETS FOR THE COURT OF LOUIS XIV THAT WERE TECHNICALLY, BUT NO LONGER AESTHETICALLY, INDEBTED TO EASTERN TRADITIONS.

____TODAY, THE MARKET CONTINUES TO DEMONSTRATE THAT GREAT FRENCH CONNOISSEURS ARE AMONG THE FOREMOST COLLECTORS OF OUTSTANDING CARPETS, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE THE MOST EXPENSIVE CARPET OF ANY PROVENANCE, A LOUIS XV SAVONNERIE. THIS TASTE DATES BACK TO THE 17TH CENTURY, WHEN DIPLOMATIC VISITS FROM OTTOMAN AND PERSIAN EMISSARIES TO THE COURT OF LOUIS XIV WERE MARKED BY A DAZZLING DISPLAY OF FABRICS, TEXTILES AND CARPETS. NATURALLY, SUCH VISITS SERVED AS OPPORTUNITIES FOR NEGOTIATIONS, OSTENTATIOUS DISPLAYS AND THE EXCHANGE OF GIFTS. SOMETIMES A CARPET WAS PRESENTED AS A GIFT AND SUBSEQUENTLY REPRODUCED. MANY SUCH GIFTS WERE MADE DURING THE 17TH AND 18TH CENTURIES FROM THE LEVANT AND THE OTTOMAN PORTE (PERSIA, NEAR EAST AND TURKEY).

____THE SAVONNERIE TRADITION CAN BE TRACED BACK TO HENRI IV (1533-1610). DURING HIS REIGN, HENRI IV BECAME CONCERNED WITH THE OUTFLOW OF GOLD FOR THE PURCHASE OF LUXURY OBJECTS ABROAD (OBJECTS LIKE TAPESTRIES AND CARPETS) AND ESTABLISHED ARTISANS' WORKSHOPS IN THE LOUVRE. THESE WORKSHOPS ENABLED SPECIALLY CHOSEN CRAFTSMEN, INCLUDING FAMOUS PARISIAN CABINET MAKERS AND BRONZE CASTERS, TO EXERCISE THEIR SKILLS. THE PROJECT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY CONTINUED BY LOUIS XIII, AND LATER, UNDER THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF COLBERT, LOUIS IV BEGAN TO REVOLUTIONIZE FRENCH CARPET PRODUCTION, WHICH HE HOPED WOULD EVENTUALLY RIVAL CARPET PRODUCTION IN THE NEAR EAST.

____IN 1644, THE DECISION WAS MADE TO INSTALL WEAVING WORKSHOPS IN AN ABANDONED SOAP FACTORY IN THE VILLAGE OF CHAILLOT, JUST OUTSIDE PARIS. THE MANAGEMENT OF THE MANUFACTORY WAS ENTRUSTED TO TWO ENTREPRENEURS, PIERRE DUPONT AND SIMON LOURDET. THE FURNISHINGS MADE IN THE NEW WORKSHOPS WOULD EVENTUALLY ACQUIRE THE NAME "SAVONNERIE" AFTER THE ORIGINAL PURPOSE OF THE FACTORY, "SAVON", MEANING SOAP.

____THE FIRST SO-CALLED LOUIS XIII CARPETS, MADE IN ABOUT 1660, WERE EXTRAORDINARILY FINE IN TEXTURE WITH A BLUE OR BROWN GROUND AND A FLORAL DECORATION OF "PERSIAN" INSPIRATION, OFTEN WITH CAMPANES, (ORNAMENTAL CARVINGS WITH FRINGES AND TASSELS) BASKETS AND RIBBONS. LATER, COLBERT WOULD REVOLUTIONIZE FRENCH CARPET DESIGN WITH A VAST AND UNIFIED SERIES OF CARPETS CELEBRATING THE MAGNIFICENCE, GLORY AND HARMONIOUS GOVERNANCE OF THE SUN KING (LOUIS XIV). UNITY WAS GIVEN TO THE DESIGN WITH BORDERS OF OVES, BROWN GROUND (NOWADAYS REFERRED TO AS BLACK) AND ACANTHUS LEAVES. DURING THIS TIME, LA SAVONNERIE WORKED MAINLY FOR THE ROYAL GARDE-MEUBLE, WHICH WAS IN CHARGE OF PALACE FURNISHINGS. AFTER LOUIS XIV LOST INTEREST IN THE LOUVRE, THESE CARPETS WERE ROLLED UP AND STORED IN THE GARDE-MEUBLE AND BROUGHT OUT ONLY ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS. THE CARPETS SURVIVED THE 18TH CENTURY WITHOUT MISHAP, BUT DURING THE REVOLUTION THEIR HIGH AESTHETIC QUALITY CAUSED THEM TO BE PUT UP FOR AUCTION OR USED AS CURRENCY. DESPITE THEIR FATE DURING THE REVOLUTION, THESE SAVONNERIE CARPETS HAVE RETAINED THEIR AESTHETIC VALUE THOUGH THE CENTURIES AND ARE REGARDED BY HISTORIANS AS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE FIELD OF DECORATIVE ARTS DURING THE 17TH CENTURY.

____TODAY, RENAISSANCE CONTINUES THIS GRAND TRADITION BY PAINSTAKINGLY REPLICATING THE SPLENDOR AND LUXURY OF THIS CENTURIES OLD WEAVING TECHNIQUE. FINE NEW ZEALAND WOOLS ARE USED ON AUTHENTIC FRENCH LOOMS TO WEAVE DESIGNS MARKED BY A MYRIAD OF MULTI-HUED PATTERNS, BRINGING NEW HEIGHTS OF CLARITY AND BRILLIANCE TO THE RENAISSANCE SAVONNERIE COLLECTION. EACH SAVONNERIE CREATED BY RENAISSANCE IS WOVEN AFTER ORIGINAL HANDPAINTED ARTWORK AND IS METICULOUSLY HAND-WOVEN UNDER THE STRICT SUPERVISION OF OUR CHIEF DESIGNER & MASTER COLORIST: PHILIPPE HECQUET. RENAISSANCE SAVONNERIES ARE AVAILABLE IN QUALITIES RANGING FROM 26X26 TO 36X36. UP TO 250 COLORS ARE USED IN EACH CARPET AND EACH KNOT CONTAINS 3 TO 5 COLORS THAT GIVE THE CARPET DEPTH AND EXTRA DIMENSION. WITH SUCH EXCEPTIONAL DETAIL IN COLOR AND DESIGN, EACH SAVONNERIE WOVEN BY RENAISSANCE IS SURE TO REPRESENT A FINE INVESTMENT IN HISTORY, LUXURY AND ART.