The World At Your Feet...

Sections of a carpet designed by the Queen's nephew to showcase British creativity are set to go under the hammer in our 20th Century Design Auction on 8 October. The designs by Viscount David Linley, the 2nd Earl of Snowdon, feature the skylines of cities around the world.

The carpet was commissioned in 2013 to furnish the Burlington Arcade, the landmark thoroughfare of luxury shops that joins Piccadilly with Bond Street. Based on Linley’s marquetry designs, it was produced in collaboration with Royal Warrant-holding carpet manufacturers Brintons Carpets. The full 180-metre carpet featured 92 buildings from around the world, from Italy’s Duomo di Milano to the Aspire Tower in Doha and China’s Pearl TV Tower. Among the whimsical touches were Mary Poppins flying over St Pauls Cathedral; Quasimodo in Paris and King Kong scaling the Empire State Building.

However, as a visitor attraction the carpet was short-lived. Soon the cause of unwanted queues and congestion, it was decided it should be removed and some of the sections cut from the original carpet are being offered for sale in Stansted Mountfitchet with estimates ranging from £200-300 to £300-500.

For more information please contact - 

John Black 

johnblack@sworder.co.uk | 01279 817778