Footnotes

Provenance
Formerly Housed at Somerton Randle, Somerset.

Somerton Randle, sometimes referred to as Somerton Erleigh, dates from the late 1700s, the original site dating much earlier. In the late 1500s, the lease of the land and property was acquired by John Still, Bishop of Bath and Wells. By the late 1780s, the manor was sold to John Pretor Pinney. The estate included 'a house and pleasure ground with some 40 acres of surround land, and a farm of 49 acres.' Pinney, a descendant of Azariah Pinney who took part in the Monmouth uprising, had lived in the West Indies before returning to Bristol in 1783. The same year he purchased Somerton Randle (then called Somerton Erleigh or Randolph).

Pinney must have conducted new building works because in 1789 the large L-shaped building was described as 'newly erected'. In 1845 his grandson William inherited the estate and made a number of changes including extending the house to the east and adding a stable court with an ornate clock tower, possibly designed by Edward Buckton Lamb, who worked for Disraeli at Hughenden Manor, Buckinghamshire.

Similar examples with identical border details in fragment form from one of 92 carpets woven at the Savonnerie workshops for the Grande Galerie at the Louvre at the end of the 17th century sold Bonhams, Fine English & Continental Furniture Tapestries and Works of Art, to include an important collection of Costume & accessories, 27 Jun 2006 and Christies, 17 May 2006.

The Savonnerie manufactory was established in 1615 under Pierre DuPont in a dis-used soap factory in Paris. This was set up partly in response to the desire amongst the aristocracy to revive the French Decorative Arts. Until 1768 these specific carpets remained property of the crown. They were used as the most prized diplomatic gifts and could be found in some of the most noble families of Europe. The Savonnerie revival in the 19th century was due in part to the patronage of Napoleon. In 1825 the Savonnerie was incorporated with the Gobelins manufactory and ceased operating as an independent entity.