Fornasetti, Cc-Tapis Exquisite Artisan Rug Collaboration

MILAN — Two Milanese brands have come together for a collaboration worthy of theater.

Decor firm Fornasetti and upscale carpet maker Cc-Tapis have joined forces to create a collection of rugs celebrating craft and the lively visual world started by Piero Fornasetti over 70 years ago.

Among them are the archival motifs including Re Sole (Italian for sun king) and the Peccato Originale (Italian for original sin) designs from the 1950s. The Gattipanni motif (an Italian play on cat and clothes) combines two designs, a cat and an antique instrument used to clean carpets. The latter is a tribute to Piero Fornasetti, who loved cats and kept a carpet beater in his home which still remains in the family’s kitchen to this day.

Barnaba Fornasetti, Fornasetti’s son and heir, commented on the values that the two firms have in common: “With its strong artisanal identity and deep respect for materials, Cc-Tapis proves to be an ideal travel companion for embarking together on new paths in the realm of decor, discovering unprecedented creative horizons.”

At a presentation at the Fornasetti home in Milan in November, Cc-Tapis cofounder Fabrizio Cantoni discussed how the carpet beater became “a humble but defining” symbol of the collaboration. It’s a Fornasetti motif reimagined as the project’s logo: an ironic and affectionate sign that connects memory to the present, he explained, adding that carpet beaters were used commonly until the first half of the 20th century.

But of all the images, motifs and characters that constituted the fantastical world of midcentury artist Piero Fornasetti, the cat was perhaps the most mysterious in his eyes.

The elder Fornasetti is said to have often pondered if cats were truly “ancient philosophers, cloaked in soft fur,” or guardians of arcane wisdom.

The selection of rugs is divided into two categories and price segments. The Mano (Italian for hand) design, the Bocca (Italian for mouth) design and the Farfalla (Italian for butterfly) are grouped within the ready-to-buy segment of Cc-Tapis’ selection, which is made in India. Prices for this made-in-India line start at about 2,500 euros. Prices for the premium line of rugs made with a hand-knotted technique start at $25,000. Produced in Nepal, they take 14 to 16 weeks to produce.

Cc-Tapis, which was founded in 2011, introduced ready-to-buy carpets in 2024 and has already collaborated with Paris-based designer India Mahdavi, New York City-Toronto-based design studio Yabu Pushelberg, and Dutch designer Mae Engelgeer.

The collection will be available for sale in late April and will be sold on both the Cc-Tapis and the Fornasetti websites.