Silk Kashan Carpet

Unknown

16th century · Silk (warp, weft and pile); asymmetrically knotted pile · Islamic Art

This carpet was possibly woven in Kashan, an important center for silk trade and carpet manufacture during the Safavid period. Decorative elements on this and other related carpets from Kashan and Tabriz indicate that weavers may have used pattern books containing popular motifs to guide them in production. These designs, including the medallions at the center and four corners of this carpet, are also present in other media, particularly in bookbinding and manuscript illumination. The cloud bands and peonies that appear throughout the work originated in Chinese art but had been fully assimilated into Safavid artistic production by this period.

Artist

Unknown

Date

16th century

Medium

Silk (warp, weft and pile); asymmetrically knotted pile

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Bequest of Benjamin Altman, 1913