Istrice
Barbara Frua is a leading Milanese interior decorator and famed designer. Her work pays homage to Milan’s decorative arts tradition in an eclectic fashion, often at crossroads between art and design. She is considered by many as the natural descendant of Giò Ponti, who was also a friend of her family. For this year’s Milan Design Week, Barbara Frua has created a collection of rugs for the Alberto Levi Gallery entitled ‘Par Terre’. These flat woven rugs are hand woven in hand-spun, precious Cashmere wool by means of the chain stitch technique, a type of embroidery that is characteristic of Indian textiles since the Mughal period. Istrice means ‘porcupine’ in Italian. Here she pattern she created is defined by the side borders, inspired by the porcupine’s coat made of bicoloured quills, against a grass green background. The open fields are always worked with a circular chain stitch that provides a rotating dynamics to the composition. It can be woven in any size and we currently have in stock a 180 x 120 cm, 300 x 200 cm and a 300 x 90 runner rug, the latter being the one presented here. These carpets are backed with a sturdy cotton lining and can be used as floor coverings in any areas, from low traffic to living and dining rooms.