Art Deco Carpet with Simultaneous Pattern
An extremely rare Art Deco rug designed in 1925 by Jean Burkhalter and commissioned by Pierre Chareau for a seaside mansion on the island of Corsica. This example, which is in mint condition, was part of a suite of five pieces, each crafted to fit into specific areas of the villa.
Jean Burkhalter (1895-1984) was a renowned French architect and designer. After completing his studies at the Ecole des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, Burkhalter worked for a few years with Jules Coudyser, one of the leading Parisian décorateurs and a well-known publisher of textile art, from whom he learned much about weaving techniques. Already in 1919, he was invited to exhibit at the Salon des Artistes Décorateurs, where he presented his first collection of carpets and fabrics. This experience earned him a contract as a designer at the Atelier Primavera, which is one of the most celebrated maisons among the interior decoration ateliers – conceived as a specialised extension of the Printemps department store. In 1923, he collaborated with such high-calibre architects as Robert Mallet-Stevens and Pierre Chareau, sealing a partnership with the latter by designing, in 1924, the first collection of carpets for the Boutique Pierre Chareau. This design is characterised by abstract motifs suggestive of lunar landscapes or by irregular shapes whose surfaces convey a marbled and spotted effect, the latter clearly influenced by Robert Delaunay’s theory of ‘Simultaneism’.