"Clipper Ship Hand-Loomed Rug" 1959 by George Wells of Locust Valley, L.I.
$1,400
Rare & early George Wells (1906-1988) circa July 1959
Four-masted clipper ship hand-loomed rug
Sz: 28” x 44”
Documented #824 in the archive @ The Ruggery in Locust Valley, L.I., N.Y.
George Wells purchased The Ruggery in 1956 after a career in retailing, where he designed merchandise, displays and store interiors. Wells had been hooking rugs for some time, and his abstract designs were the beginning of a new style of rug making. His work was widely exhibited and received top awards in national competitions. Wells’ innovative rug designs expanded to include the finely detailed pictorial scenes for which The Ruggery became famous. Renowned for his modern designs, Wells said he enjoyed “making untraditional designs for traditional houses.” Wells compared his work as a master rug maker to that of a stage designer. “The stage setting is the room, and the rug must suit the setting and the characters who live in that setting,” he said. “Above all, the characters must enjoy the rugs.”