A very rare Ukrainian pile rug woven with a pattern characteristic of Aubusson and Savonnerie French carpets. Carpets such as this one were woven at a time when the classical French style was extremely in favor among the Russian upper class, who decorated their homes with period French furniture. Similarly to Bessarabian flatweaves, Ukrainian pile rugs combine the folk character of their weaving tradition with the more formal design and palette of European carpets.