Antique Donegal Carpet

A beautiful antique Donegal carpet with a wonderful all over floral design with lattice work.  The dyes used to weave this carpet over 130 years ago are quite remarkable, using vivid pale blues, stunning greens and varying shades of pink, red tones. Reminiscent of William Morris designs, this all over open pattern with stylised flowers and lattice work is subtle and elegant.  In good condition in general with a soft wool pile height over the main field area.

The first Donegal carpets were made in the late 1890s when the Scottish industrialist, Alexander Morton, opened a factory in Killybegs. Morton was head of a textile manufacturing firm in Ayrshire. Although his factories already made machine-woven rugs, he wanted to make handmade carpets like those popular from Turkey and Persia.  A chance meeting with a member of Ireland's Congested Districts Board pointed him towards Donegal. The county had two things to offer: a ready supply of willing workers and an almost infinite number of sheep.

The workers, who were mostly women, hadn't made carpets before but many of them had worked in lace-making and embroidery. The local sheep farmers, spinners and dyers got in on the act. The carpets were handwoven in the same way as Turkish and Persian carpets. They couldn't afford the carpets that they made but the enterprise was a big source of employment.  The Killybeg's factory was followed by others at Kilcar, Annagry, and Crolly. By 1906, the four employed 600 between them.

Later designs used the stylised floral patterns of the British Arts and Crafts movement. Those by the architect and designer Charles Voysey were especially popular. The company also made a number of carpets in the Celtic Revival style.  Donegal carpets were purchased for Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, and the White House in Washington. These early carpets are very valuable indeed

Please request a home visit to choose a suitable time and day to view this antique Donegal carpet in-situ. We offer the service of viewing any of our carpets & rugs anywhere in the UK, having travelled nationwide since 1990.

Farnham Antique Carpets are specialists in antique decorative carpets, rugs and runners. Varying from antique tribal rugs woven in the Caucasus to classical Persian carpets dating from the mid 19th century to the early 20th century.

As members of the BADA - The British Antique Dealers Association and LAPADA - The Association of Art & Antique Dealers we adhere to strict guide lines as affiliated members and pride ourselves on maintaining its high standards. We exhibit at the BADA fair in Chelsea, London every March and the LAPADA Fair in Mayfair, London every September.