Table carpet woven in cruciform shape, wool knotted pile on wool foundation, medallion design with Ottoman floral motifs on red ground, probably Ottoman Cairo, Egypt, 1550-1600

Table Carpet, hand knotted woollen pile on woollen warp and weft, woven to shape asymmetrical knot.
WARP: green and yellow wool, often twisted together; S3Z; 26 threads per inch (100 cms); depressed.
WEFT: yellow wool and red wool; unable to ascertain number of ply, but the threads are S-spun, Z-plied; 3 shoots after each row of knots; 15 knots per inch (60 knots per dm).
PILE: wool; 8 colours: red, yellow, green, dark blue, blue, light blue, brown, white; asymmetrical knot open to the left and tied around 2 threads; 195 knots per sq. inch (3000 per sq. dm).
SIDE FINISH: Web of 9 cords (the outer one is composed of three warp threads and is thicker than the others) worked with yellow wool; the outer cord is oversewn with red wool.
END FINISH: Maximum of 8" (20.5 cms) loose green warp ends.
DESIGN: Field: Central square: red ground containing central roundel with carnations, hyacinths and tulips coming out of central boss. Outer roundel has tulips, roses, carnations, daisies and tiger stripes. Each corner contains a floral spray.
Flaps: the four flaps have inner roundel as above but also corner medallions with the blue/green carnations, hyacinths and tulips on a yellow ground.
Main border: elaborate saz blossoms with curling leaves on a red ground.
Narrow borders: which separate flaps and field; bracketed blue and red blossoms on yellow.

When purchased, this carpet was thought to be a Persian canopy carried above a person of rank during processions.
Bought at the Bon Marche sale, Paris, through Mr. Purdon Clarke

Historical significance: Table carpets are normally round or cruciform; this is the best-known example of the latter type.

Carpets like this were made in the East Mediterranean for export to Europe (since tables were not a standard item of furniture in the contemporary Islamic world).

Carpets with this combination of design and technique are now believed to date from the mid-sixteenth century and to come from the East Mediterranean, although their precise attribution is still uncertain.

The threads used in the warp of this carpet were dyed green so that they would form a coloured fringe as it hung over a cube-shaped table. The warp was prepared so that the greatest width of the carpet could be accommodated on the loom and the weavers tied knots within the required outline. When the carpet was finished, the excess warp threads were trimmed and secured.

151-1883