Carpet, circa 1925

Ivan da Silva Bruhns was one of the great innovators of Art Deco carpet design in the 1920s and 1930s. Trained initially as a painter, he brought a modern artistic language to rug-making, combining geometric abstraction, Cubist composition, and motifs inspired by African, Oceanic, and Pre-Columbian art. His carpets are celebrated for their architectural structure, bold linear patterns, and richly textured surfaces, transforming the rug from a decorative object into a modern work of art. The present carpet reflects the artist's distinctive visual vocabulary: layered geometric forms, rhythmic zigzag motifs, and carefully balanced asymmetry rendered in warm, earthy tones. Designed to complement avant-garde interiors of the French art deco ensembliers, works such as this exemplify the fusion of craftsmanship and modernism that made his carpets among the most sought-after decorative arts creations of the twentieth century.