Carpet thumbnail 1
Carpet thumbnail 2
+5
images
Not currently on display at the V&A

Carpet

1800-1850 (made)
Place of origin

Carpet, wool knotted pile on wool (or hair) foundation, with central design of geometric design on dark ground, borders with geometric designs in blue and red, flat woven border with fringing at one end.


Object details

Category
Object type
Materials and techniques
White warp, in Z2S; density 14 to the inch (54 per dm). Weft is brown wool, apparently Z2S; 1 shoot after each row of knots, 10 rows of knots to the inch (42 per dm). In the last 27 cm. there are noticeable vertical and diagonal distortions; the width reduction confined to final 10 cm. The distortion could be the result of the weft being pulled too tightly. Needs further investigation.
Brief description
Carpet, wool knotted pile on wool or hair foundation, Kurdistan, Iran, 1800-1850
Physical description
Carpet, wool knotted pile on wool (or hair) foundation, with central design of geometric design on dark ground, borders with geometric designs in blue and red, flat woven border with fringing at one end.
Dimensions
  • Weight: 15kg
  • Top edge width: 995mm
  • Bottom edge width: 930mm
  • Proper right edge length: 1800mm
  • Proper left edge length: 1790mm
Weight including roller
Style
Object history
Purchased for the Museum by Robert Murdoch Smith, from Sidney Churchill in Tehran, this was acquired as a batch of fourteen carpets and carpet fragments and ten specimens of qalamkari printed cotton. Murdoch Smith wrote: "Among the articles are a number of carpets and pieces of carpets of the 17th century and earlier date (some as early as the end of the 15th century or beginning of the 16th century) which will, I think, form a valuable addition to the Museum collection. Some of the best specimens - small pieces, not whole carpets - were got from the rufuqir or darners of worn and torn carpets in the Teheran bazaar."
Collection
Accession number
142-1884

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdAugust 25, 2005
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest