. a very rare rug from the alpujarras mountain range in southern spain, dated 1870. This piece was initially thought to be from the villages of the Arraiolos region of southern Portugal. Intensive research has shown that, although the two places are only a 5 hour journey apart, the rugs from the Alpujarras have a very different structure. The looped pile which this rug has was only used from the 15/16th century until the end of the 19th. Thus, very few ever appear and we found only 15 examples for sale internationally today. It is woven in two matching pieces and the original fine strong linen used to stitch them together is still present Reference 3557. Size, 208 x 176 cms., or 7ft. x 5ft. 10 inches