The basket and the vase of flowers motif inspired artistic production from the late 17th to the early 19th century.
In Quebec, the vast repertoire of old French religious motifs, omnipresent in church decor, also
influenced the floral designs of hooked rugs. Even today, the vase of flowers remains a highly
popular motif for hooked rugs.
There was also an abundance of geometric designs, as well as crests, pennants, and animal
designs, with the same motif often repeated in different combinations.
It is possible to distinguish between the irregular patterns of traditional rugs, and rugs
dating from the beginning of the century: with the arrival of printed canvases, patterns lost
their originality. If a rug hooker could afford it, she would buy pre-printed canvas; if not,
she traced a pattern from printed canvases and copied it onto her own. By combining different
designs, original patterns could be created that allowed more room for the artist's
imagination.
Hooked rug designs can be classified into a number of categories:
Geometric designs were very popular, since they were simple to execute. Floral, abstract, and
star designs were blended in various combinations, and floral patterns mixed in with geometric
figures. Designs such as stars, hearts, and leaves frequently adorned the corners of the rug,
regardless of the central theme.
welcome | introduction | background | rug hooking | demonstrations | design | rugs
Created: July 17, 1998. Last update: February 4, 2002 © Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation |
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