Turkotek Discussion Forums - View Single Post - Are the «large holbein» rugs Spanish or Anatolian?

Pierre Galafassi · December 11th, 2011, 06:50 PM

Hi all,

Ethnocentrism is endemic in Rugdom. This being said, one should perhaps not dismiss, a priori, C. Partearroyo Lacaba's claim (1) that the well known ?large holbein? pattern was as Spanish as paella or the Great Sinking Armada.
Until recently it was assumed that the pattern had an Anatolian origin and was merely copied by Alcaraz weavers. However, C. Partearroyo Lacaba notes that there are significantly more extant 'large Holbein rugs' woven with Spanish knots than with symetrical ones and that Spanish rugs show more variants of the basic octagonal motif than their Turkish cousins.
Without interfering in this potential Hispano-Turkish war, one could add that both, motifs and palette of the Spanish 'large Holbein' rugs, have a certain originality and do not look like mere copies.

(See FIG 56 in Essay, and FIG 1,2,& 3 below.)

Source MIAQ

Source V&A

Source TMW

(1) C. Partearroyo Lacaba Alfombras Espanolas page 6

December 11th, 2011, 06:50 PM	#1
Pierre Galafassi Members Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 153	Are the «large holbein» rugs Spanish or Anatolian? Hi all, Ethnocentrism is endemic in Rugdom. This being said, one should perhaps not dismiss, a priori, C. Partearroyo Lacaba's claim (1) that the well known ?large holbein? pattern was as Spanish as paella or the Great Sinking Armada. Until recently it was assumed that the pattern had an Anatolian origin and was merely copied by Alcaraz weavers. However, C. Partearroyo Lacaba notes that there are significantly more extant 'large Holbein rugs' woven with Spanish knots than with symetrical ones and that Spanish rugs show more variants of the basic octagonal motif than their Turkish cousins. Without interfering in this potential Hispano-Turkish war, one could add that both, motifs and palette of the Spanish 'large Holbein' rugs, have a certain originality and do not look like mere copies. (See FIG 56 in Essay, and FIG 1,2,& 3 below.) Source MIAQ Source V&A Source TMW (1) C. Partearroyo Lacaba Alfombras Espanolas page 6 Last edited by Pierre Galafassi; March 24th, 2021 at 02:17 PM.