Terence Prentis

Mr. and Mrs. M.D. Pruskin
Christie's New York December 8, 2004, lot 72
Acquired from the above by the present owner

British Carpets and Designs: The Modernist Rug 1928-1938, Royal Pavilion, Art Gallery and Museums, Brighton, United Kingdom, October 5-November 2, 1975

Terence Prentis, "New Things Succeed," Chapbook, May/June 1920, p. 16 (for a discussion of Prentis's work)
Susan Day, Art Deco and Modernist Carpets, London, 2002, p. 160 (for a discussion of Prentis's carpet designs)
Valerie Mendes, "Department of Textiles and Dress," Burlington Magazine, May 1978, p. 313 (for a discussion of Prentis's carpet designs)

Overall very good original condition. The hand-knotted carpet presents beautifully in person with strong coloration and a bold design. The pile measuring approximately ¼ in height and is consistent across the carpet with very light wear to the pile at the edges. The red elements of the design are executed with pile measuring ¾ inch. With some very minor soiling and wear, and minute losses to the red pile concentrated to the portions which extends beyond the border of the carpet, as seen in the catalogue illustration. This is an extraordinarily rare carpet and an important early British modern work.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

British carpet designers in the late 1920s, influenced by Parisian contemporaries and current painting trends, began to introduce abstract carpet designs as artistic statements within modern interiors.  The firm of Morton Sundour Fabrics, Ltd., of Carlisle, established the label of Edinburgh Weavers to meet the increased demands for modernist textiles and carpets.  Terence Prentis, an abstract painter trained at the Royal Academy, was one of the artists commissioned by the firm to introduce these current modern sensibilities. Prentis wrote in 1920 with regards to painting that "actual resemblance to anything in nature is no longer essential," and this sentiment clearly informed the innovative carpet designs he produced.