Rug, T03.47.11
Our Object of the Week was chosen from the TMC’s collection by Dr. Filiz Çakır Phillip, Curator of the Aga Khan Museum and of their recent exhibition, "Arts of the East: Highlights of Islamic Art from the Bruschettini Collection."
This wool and cotton knotted pile rug is an example of a 17th-century Safavid carpet from Isfahan. The “Arts of the East” exhibition presents a very rare opportunity for people interested in rugs and/or Middle Eastern art from the 15th to 17th centuries to see more exquisite examples from this time period in person.
The TMC’s rug with arabesque design features a composition of spiraling stems bearing leaves and blossoms. Its precise drawing and fine weaving were produced by a trained artist and an experienced weaver. It was probably made in a workshop in Isfahan, and its exquisite style evokes the architectural tile decorations, miniature paintings and manuscript drawings from this period. Its minimalist palette of three colours is unusual for classical Persian rugs, and is reminiscent of late 15th- to mid 16th-century Ottoman carpets made in Cairo. This rug is a gift of Mrs. Herta Vodstrcil in memory of Andrew Vodstrcil.
