"Ornamental Lotto" Carpet
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Carpets displaying this striking design of stylized vegetal arabesques in yellow on a red background are often called "Lottos," after a famous altarpiece by the Italian Renaissance painter Lorenzo Lotto that includes a similar textile. The motifs depicted in the center field here have additional hooks and curls that render the overall impression more decorative. "Ornamental Lottos" like this one commonly have a border containing a series of medallions with symmetrical patterns based on the split-palmette. During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, Lotto carpets became a popular motif in Dutch and Flemish painting. Artists depicted them on tables in domestic scenes, portraits, and, occasionally, still lifes, as a sign of wealth and good taste.
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