/internal/media/dispatcher/711611/resize%25253Aformat%25253DthumbnailPersian carpet17th century202 x 141 cm (79 1/2 x 55 1/2 in.)Cotton warp, cotton weft, wool pile, asymmetrical knotGift of John Goelet66.2290Among the most esteemed oriental carpets in seventeenth-century northern Europe were those that featured Chinese-derived cloudbands and leaf-like forms called palmettes on crimson fields. Painters depicted these expensive carpets draped over tables or spred on floors under the feet of royalty.
The name "Indo-Persian" reflects a lack of consensus among scholars, who still argue about where in India or Iran such carpets were made. Because the structure and color of this carpet are typical of Persian rather than Indian rugs, it is assigned to Iran. Its centralized design is exceptionally harmonious and elegant.
Field: madder rose ground with polychrome stylized blossoms, leaves, and cloudbands symmetrically disposed. Narrow blue-and-yellow guard band separates this from dark blue border showing units of a blossom between pairs of serrated leaves. Yellow-and-blue outer guard band, showing small black or white rosettes. Black pile and some white pile corroded. Side edges overcast with rose wool yarns.
Textiles202.00000000004916201