Carpet Designs

Wien: k.k. Österreichisches Handels-Museum, 1895. 280 by 200mm (11 by 7¾ inches). Original half-canvas; [4], 204, [4 blank] pp. + 20 plates. Plates are chromolithographic color print proofs for the 101 plates of the opus ​“Orientalische Teppiche” Vienna, London, Paris: k.k. Österreichisches Handels-Museum, 1892–1896, Imperial Folio, 3 portfolios. 200 German, 100 English and 100 French copies printed. Print proofs are folded (mostly twice) and of differing sizes, likely identical to the real size of printed plates (for example, 360 by 450mm (14 ¹⁄₄ by 17 ³⁄₄ inches), 270 by 350mm (10 ¹⁄₂ by 13 ³⁄₄ inches) and as large as 500 by 330mm (19 ³⁄₄ by 13 inches).) All of the plates have handwritten labels (e.g. Altpersischer Teppich, Bosnien; Persischer Teppich, Ziegler and Co., London; Altpersischer Teppich, Musee des Arts Decoratif, Paris, etcetera.) as well as the hand-written notation ​“Probedruck” (test print) and are bound into the work ​“Teppich-Erzeugung im Orient” — that work does not include these colored prints in its normal edition. In German. 

Very good but browned, bumped and worn covers. Multiple interior library stamps, but also a deaccessioning stamp dated August 5, 2010, from the Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien. Small tear to several of the plates at the interior fold; minor corner creases to some plates. The plates are of exceptional quality and beauty. 

20 original printing proofs for the color plates of Orientalische Teppiche.

A singular object bound (we believe) for internal use by the Handels-Museum. Originally held by the library for the Handels-Museum (which became the Exportakademie Bibliothek für Welthandel and subsequently merged with the Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien that in 2010 deaccessioned this book). 

The Handels-Museum (today the Museum für angewandte Kunst [MAK]) holds one of the most valuable carpet collections in the world, primarily Persian carpets from the 16. and 17. century that used to belong to the Emperor of Austria. Some of the beautiful carpets can be seen online: www.mak.at/schausammlung_orient

“Orientalische Teppiche” is based on a famous exhibition of 429 oriental carpets in the Handels-Museum in 1891 and the 101 prints are an important piece of carpet history. This item, as an internal Handels-Museum book with one of a kind print proofs, is a beautiful and unique object for the study of early carpets.