Middle East, Carpet; Carpet, recomposed from fragments, wool knotted pile on cotton foundation, 'Shah Abbas' or 'Isfahani' design of lotus flower trellis, cloud bands and pomegranate trees on red ground, possibly Isfahan, Safavid Iran, 1600-1650

Source (not recorded)

This carpet was sold to the South Kensington Museum (now the V&A) in August 1880, by the art-dealer Vincent J. Robinson. Robinson had a close relationship with the Museum, and loaned many carpets and textiles to the new Indian displays (opened earlier that same year). Museum curator Caspar Purdon Clarke recommended the acquisition: he noted that the "Afghan" carpet ("of the Herat class of design") matched another extremely large example already on loan from Robinson (this was a common misidentification for this type of carpet, now linked with early 17C Safavid Isfahan). He also commented that "these are of a class well known to collectors but from some technical difficulties (the principal being the large amount of glazed space required for proper exhibition) up to the present time few have been acquired by the Museums of Europe". The one currently on offer was indeed unusually small for its type, measuring only 3 x 2.5m: it was actually a composite object made up of several carefully joined fragments, which was not mentioned. It was purchased for £80.

Source (not recorded). This acquisition information reflects that found in the Museum records (Asia Department registers and/or Central Inventory) as part of a 2023 provenance research project.

387-1880