Fragment of a Herat Carpet

Textile ArtsPersian16th-17th century

Fragment of a Herat Carpet

17th century

Description

The large scale of this fragment’s motifs suggests that it once formed part of a sizable carpet. Such rugs, sometimes reaching over 6 meters in length, often feature large palmettes and curved serrated leaves like those found in the main red field and partial border of this fragment. The carpet was woven with warps and wefts spun from cotton (the threads that form the rug’s basic structure), a relatively inexpensive material compared to wool and silk. These cost-saving measures resulted in larger carpets with repeating designs that could meet increasing global demands for Persian carpets in the 17th century.

Classification

Textile Arts

Medium

Wool pile on a foundation of cotton warps and wefts

Culture

Persian

Century

16th-17th century

Division

Asian and Mediterranean Art

Department

Department of Islamic & Later Indian Art

Dimensions

226.06 x 172.72 cm (89 x 68 in.)

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Fragment of a Herat Carpet | Harvard Art Museums | KenAI