Carpet

Unknown Artist

late 16th century

Carpet by Unknown Artist

Medium

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

Dimensions

H. 288 3/4 in. (733.4 cm) W. 120 1/8 in (305.1 cm)

Classification

Textiles-Rugs

Department

Islamic Art

Museum

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY

Credit

Gift of Joseph V. McMullan, 1959

Accession Number

59.59

Art Historical Context

This magnificent late 16th-century carpet, hailing from the Islamic world, exemplifies the artistry of textile weaving during a golden age of carpet production. Measuring an impressive 24 feet long and over 10 feet wide, vast scale suggests it was designed to cover floors in grand palaces, mosques, or wealthy homes, serving both practical and decorative purposes. Crafted with a cotton warp and weft supporting a dense wool pile, the rug employs the asymmetrically knotted technique—also known as the Persian or Senneh knot—characteristic of high-quality Islamic carpets from regions like Persia (m...

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