This carpet has a rather special story. It was made for Oliver Messel’s home, The Maddox in Barbados, from a design by Messel and worked by his partner Vagn Riis-Hansen. The carpet was originally in the sitting room at Maddox and was featured in Vogue in 1969.

Oliver Messel was one of Britain’s best-known designers and stage designers. He worked across theatre, film, costume, interiors and architecture. His style was elegant but playful, often drawing on historical decorative arts.

In Barbados, Messel created his own little world at The Maddox, combining antiques, art, colour and lush planting. The house became a very personal expression of his taste and imagination.

The carpet also has an interesting family connection. Messel’s sister Anne was the mother of Lord Snowdon, Antony Armstrong-Jones, the celebrated photographer who was married to Princess Margaret. After Messel’s death, the carpet was inherited by Snowdon, keeping it within the family.

More than simply a beautiful decorative piece, the carpet is a small part of the story of Oliver Messel, his life in Barbados and the remarkable circle of people around him.