Iran, Isfahan, Safavid period (1501-1722) / 1600–1625
Royal Carpet with Silk and Metal Thread
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Royal Carpet with Silk and Metal Thread as carpet (Iran, Isfahan, Safavid period (1501-1722) · 1600–1625).
16th- and 17th-century Iranian carpets with silk and metal thread were mistakenly called "Polish," based on one displayed in the Polish exhibit at the Paris World Fair in 1878.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this carpet as Cotton: warp; cotton and silk: wefts; silk: pile, asymmetrical knot; gilt- and silver-metal thread: brocaded.
The museum's collection notes: The Safavid dynasty was the greatest dynasty from Iran in the Islamic period. Similarly, woven textiles and carpets from this period are some of the best produced in the region. Royal workshops produced luxurious textiles, like this one, to furnish the royal court. Expertly woven silks were highly prized by the Iranian elite but were also produced for export to the European aristocracy.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtRoyal Carpet with Silk and Metal ThreadOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.