Carpet Fragment
Unknown Artist
late 16th–early 17th century
Medium
Cotton and silk (foundation), wool (pile); asymmetrically knotted pile
Dimensions
Mount: H. 51 1/2 in. (130.8 cm) W. 18 in. (45.7 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Rugs
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, The Page and Otto Marx Jr. Foundation Gift and Rogers Fund, 2001
Accession Number
2001.54
Art Historical Context
This exquisite carpet fragment, to the late 16 or early 17th century, hails from the Islamic world, a period renowned for masterful textile arts. Likely originating from Persia during the Safavid dynasty—a golden age of carpet production—the piece exemplifies the opulence of rugs that adorned palaces, mosques, and wealthy homes across the region. Though only a fragment survives, measuring about 51½ by 18 inches when mounted, it hints at the grandeur of its original form, traded along Silk Road routes and coveted by European collectors. Crafted with a foundation of cotton and silk threads supp...