SAVONNERIE - Established originally as a nationalistic response to satisfy the French court's appetite for such sumptuous floor-coverings as those introduced to them by the Ottoman traders, the Savonnerie is now synonymous with high European style. Adopting its name from the former soap or "savon" factory where it was originally housed, work was initiated in 1615 when Pierre Dupont, with his apprentice Simon Lourdet, were granted exclusive rights to create these masterpieces for the crown. Satisfying royal palace commissions remained the manufactor's sole edict until the mid 1700's when political and financial pressures necessitated a wider scope.

As the earliest weavings were meant to replace the prohibitively expensive carpets imported from the Ottoman Empire, many designs echo Persian motifs. However, the vast majority embodies all the elegance expected from classical French decoration - ranging from the extravagance of the Louis XIII era to the more restrained grandeur of the Napoleonic age.