French Mid-Century Modern Rug signed Leleu
Paule Leleu (1906-1987) was one of the most celebrated carpet designers of 20th century France. Daughter of Jules Leleu, a prolific furniture designer and interior decorator of the Art Deco period, she studied carpet design with Ivan da Silva Bruhns, who is regarded as the leading rug creator of the French avant-garde. Paule Leleu started designing her own carpets by 1937, signing each one with ‘LELEU’. Defined by a modernist style imbued with a strong sense of tradition, her carpets have become the hallmark of Mid-Century Modern French design. The present was woven in the Savonnerie technique at the Lauer Workshop in Aubusson. An example with the identical border was purchased by the French government in 1952 and is conserved in the prestigious ‘Mobilier National’, a collection which houses the most significant achievements ever created by French designers.