Carpet
Unknown Artist
17th century
Medium
Linen warp and weft; wool pile, Ghiordes knot
Dimensions
206 x 114 in. (523.2 x 289.6 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Rugs
Culture
Spanish
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. William Randolph Hearst, 1964
Accession Number
64.169
Tags
Art Historical Context
This magnificent 17th-century Spanish carpet, measuring an impressive 206 x 114 inches, exemplifies the grandeur of Baroque-era textiles in Europe. Woven with a linen warp and weft and a dense wool pile using the Ghiordes knot—a symmetrical knotting technique typically associated with Anatolian rugs—this piece reflects the cross-cultural exchanges of the Spanish Golden Age. Produced during a time when Spain's global empire influenced its crafts, the carpet likely served as a status symbol in noble households, its vast scale ideal for covering grand palace floors or adorning walls. A standout ...