Vase Carpet

Unknown

17th century · Cotton (warp), silk (weft), wool (weft and pile); asymmetrically knotted pile · Islamic Art

This carpet overflows with naturalistically rendered flowers and plants, organized around one central medallion and four quarter- medallions in each corner. A similar medallion design can be seen on many decorative leather book covers from the same period, and it is likely that the manuscript design was incorporated into the visual repertoire of Safavid weavers. Artists working in the court atelier produced drawings and designs for artisans working in a variety of different media. The designs and trends generated by the court were then adopted by commercial workshops that created high-quality carpets like this one.

Artist

Unknown

Date

17th century

Medium

Cotton (warp), silk (weft), wool (weft and pile); asymmetrically knotted pile

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Gift of Joseph V. McMullan, 1970