Louis XVI Aubusson Carpet Sparks Bidding Battle

This Louis XVI velvet carpet whipped up a bidding frenzy to the tune of €268,000 during the Collection Jean-Marie Rossi d'un monde l'autre auction. The six-figure result, more than triple its low estimate, reflects the incredible provenance of the piece.

In 1789, French actress-and one of the mistresses of the Count of Artois-Anne-Victoire Dervieux commissioned the architect François-Joseph Belanger to redesign her home on Rue Chantereine. This d'Aubusson carpet was intended for the music room and echoed the decor of the ceiling. According to Russian writer Nikolai Karamzin, "This house is considered by everyone to be a marvel. You need a ticket to visit it."

After escaping a grim fate during the French Revolution, Dervieux sold her Parisian residence and all its contents, including the carpet, to Belgian Count Vilain XIII.