Carpet, Mughal, period of Shah Jahan (1628–58)
India
Wool on silk foundation
Technical Glossary
India
Wool on silk foundation
66 x 160 in. (167.64 x 406.4 cm)
Bequest of Benjamin Altman, 1913 (14.40.725)
The floral pattern and design of the field of this rug are related to carpets from Herat, which were the early models for Indian carpet production. The naturalistic, stemmed plants on the border, however, are the mark of a specifically Indian development. Jahangir had long encouraged the careful study of flora and fauna, and the arrival of European books of herbals further changed the depiction of flowers from the Persian style of endless scrolling vines. In Shah Jahan's time, to which this carpet is dated, the further development of the arrangement in neat rows appeared in all Indian media—manuscripts, architectural carving, textiles, and carpets.
