Carpet (tapis) 1650 - 1675

Editor: Here we have a stunning textile work from between 1650 and 1675, attributed to the Savonnerie Manufactory: a carpet, or “tapis” as it’s labeled. It’s got this amazing, almost garden-like landscape design woven into it. It's so ornate and meticulously crafted. What’s your take on it? Curator: From a materialist perspective, this piece really speaks to the blurring of lines between art and craft. We should think about the conditions of its production, and what it meant for the laborers creating this lavish item. Editor: So, more than just the pretty design, it’s about how it was actually made? Curator: Exactly. Think of the skilled weavers at the Savonnerie Manufactory. They were essentially crafting these incredibly detailed carpets, almost like painting with thread. This breaks down hierarchies – is it high art, or skilled labor? Consider the social context: this wasn’t made for a museum, but to be walked upon in a royal space, maybe even be considered ‘disposable’ depending on wear. Editor: That makes me think about the kind of materials they would’ve used, and where they came from. Did the dyes hold any specific social significance or impact their trade? Curator: Precisely. Where did the wool originate? Who controlled the trade in those materials? What dyes were available, and did access to them signify wealth and power? Even the eventual wear and tear of this carpet speaks to its social life and utility beyond being an aesthetic object. Editor: It’s interesting to think about this beautiful, baroque textile as not just a pretty thing but as a product of labor and trade, connected to all sorts of other networks and histories. Curator: Right. And those networks continue even after its creation, as we find it here on display within The Met, becoming recontextualized and re-examined, shifting our own labor in processing its multifaceted story.