Niche patterns also appeared in carpets woven for decorative or architectural use, where they might serve as hanging screens in windows and doorways. Palaces would have been literally covered in textiles--carpets on the floor, pillows for seating, cotton, velvet, or tapestry hanging screens in windows and doorways--their rich colors and textures enlivening the residences of both Mughal and Raj royalty. Click on the image to see an example.
Sometimes carpets provided the actual architecture; for example, when they were used in the construction of portable tent compounds for military campaigns or royal visits. The layout of the Mughal palace was re-created in these tent compounds. Rows of qanats, free-standing textile screens, replaced red sandstone walls, and flower-covered carpets reproduced the gardens of the inner courtyards. The red color served to identify the emperor’s tent, and luxurious textiles not only provided the comforts of home but also symbolically reminded envoys and visitors of the power and the wealth of their rulers.
