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Carpet with pictorial design Northern India, Lahore, late 16th or early 17th century Wool pile on cotton foundation. 27' 4'' x 9' 6'' Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917, New York (17.190.858) From the reign of Jahangir comes this pictorial landscape carpet. The pattern unit of the field contains real and mythological animals and a palm tree. This unit is repeated almost four times, and it is reversed with each repetition. The fourth pattern repeat, at the top, is incomplete, suggesting that the carpet was woven to order and a specific length was prescribed. The landscape design also appears in carved stone panels, manuscript illustrations, and leather bindings, showing a close relationship between various workshops. The border is a geometricized version of a Persian cartouche and medallion design, probably derived from manuscript illuminations.
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