The niche carpet is woven with a millefleur pattern of hundreds of tiny flowers. It was a style that became popular relatively late in the history of Mughal carpets. Its design reflects the influence of European tapestries, which had employed the millefleur design since the Middle Ages. A famous example of this kind of tapestry is at the Cloisters: The Unicorn in Captivity.

As a classroom activity, ask students to study the two images--the Mughal rug with the millefleur design and The Unicorn in Captivity with its millefleur background. Using a Venn Diagram or another method of comparing and contrasting elements, see how many commonalities and differences the students can identify.

The following information will be useful when looking at the two images.

The Unicorn in Captivity from The Unicorn Tapestries:
The Cloisters Collection, Gift of John D. Rockefeller, Jr., 1937 (37.80.6)

where: Southern Netherlandish (Brussels)
when: 1475-1500
technique: woven, tapestry technique
materials: wool, silk, metallic threads
size: 12' x 8' 3''
use: hung on wall; may have been commissioned to celebrate a marriage
design: millefleur; flowers are depicted realistically, flower motifs are arranged randomly
symbolism: Christian symbolism in hunt of the unicorn flowers associated with love and fertility
influences: the flowers represented may have been influenced by European herbals or scientific books of plants

where: Northern India, Kashmir
when: second half of the 18th century
technique: woven, pile technique
materials: cotton, pashmina (cashmere)
size: 6' 2 1/4'' x 4'
use: may have been hung on a wall
design: millefleur; flowers are depicted abstractly; flowers motifs are rigidly and bilaterally symmetrical
symbolism: Islamic symbolism of niche representing Gateway to Paradise; flowers associated with symbolism of Paradise as a garden
influences: tapestries brought to the court by European merchants

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