Early Spanish carpets are often grouped by the experts with Orientals. Proudly they hang in the famous collections beside the great animal and Shah Abbas and medallion carpets of Persia.
They are the only European rugs so honored. This is because they were woven by the Moors who brought Oriental religion, art and craftsmanship into Spain in the eighth century.
But Spanish rugs can be legitimately classified as European, too. They were woven in Europe.
They gradually developed western characteristics.
They helped to spread the art of carpet weaving into a younger world where with the eventual development of power-driven looms, floorcoverings were brought within reach of us all.
