CUENCA CARPET

any Spanish floor covering handwoven at the city of Cuenca, between Madrid and Valencia, especially in the 17th and 18th centuries but also more recently. They generally are coarser and heavier bodied than Alcaraz carpets; their foundation may be partially or wholly of a bast fibre; and in certain later examples the Ghiordes knot is used instead of the Spanish. A good red dye did not appear in these rugs until the 18th century, when a bright cherry red was sometimes used. Usually, the colour range is limited and muddy, as if several hues had proved fugitive, but some of the later rugs show bold colouring.