/internal/media/dispatcher/1822364/resize%25253Aformat%25253DthumbnailHunting carpetabout 1530Aqa Mirak and Sultan MuhammadShah Tahmasp480.1 x 225 cm (189 x 88 9/16 in.)Silk warp and weft with silk knotted pile, with supplementary metal-wrapped patterning weftsMuseum purchase with funds from the Centennial Purchase Fund, John Goelet, and unrestricted textile purchase funds66.2930Scenes of hunting and feasting on this carpet reflect the pastimes of the Safavid court. The size of the carpet, the use of the silk throughout, and the exquisite workmanship (up to 810 knots per square inch) suggest that it was made for Shah Tahmasp (r. 1524–1576). Its rich pictorial patterns are thought to have been designed by the leading painters at the Safavid court.
In the central medallion, highlighted with metallic threads, is a combat between dragons and phoenixes, a motif which reflects Chinese influence on Persian art. Within the blossoming vines of the surrounding field, novice hunters attack rabbits with clubs while more skilled hunters kill deer and antelope with spears and swords or battle lions barehanded.
The relaxed atmosphere of the border design contrasts with the violent activity of the carpet's center. Richly dressed courtiers eat and drink and, as described in Persian poetry, discuss the day's hunting adventures.Textiles480.10000000004917001