Carpet Fragment

last quarter 16th century
Not on view
Associated with the Mamluks in Egypt and Syria, Mamluk-style carpets figured significantly in Mediterranean commerce and appear in Venetian paintings from the sixteenth century. The style of these carpets is characterized by medallions surrounded by a variety of smaller geometric motifs, forming a kaleidoscopic appearance. The palette is limited to red, blue, green, and yellow tones. Documents first refer to Cairo as a center of carpet weaving in the last quarter of the fifteenth century, and production continued until the mid-sixteenth century, shortly after the 1517 Ottoman conquest of Egypt.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Carpet Fragment
  • Date: last quarter 16th century
  • Geography: Attributed to Egypt, Cairo
  • Medium: Wool (warp, weft, and pile); asymmetrically knotted pile
  • Dimensions: H. 77 1/2 in. (196.9 cm)
    W. 55 1/2 in. (141 cm)
  • Classification: Textiles-Rugs
  • Credit Line: Gift of Joseph V. McMullan, 1971
  • Object Number: 1971.263.1
  • Curatorial Department: Islamic Art

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