1600s, Indo-Persian

Carpet, hand knotted woollen pile on cotton warp and weft, hunting design, Indian; possibly 17th century.
WARP: white cotton; Z7S; depressed; 22 threads to the inch (78 per dm).
WEFT: light brown cotton; Z spun, unplied; 4 parallel threads (sometimes 3 parallel threads) per shoot, 2 shoots after each row of knots; 14 knots to the inch (55 per dm).
PILE: wool; 15 colours: red, light red, yellow, light yellow, green, light green, dark blue, blue, light blue, pink, light pink, brown, light brown, black, white; asymmetrical knot open to the left and tied around 2 warp threads; 154 knots to the sq. inch (2145 per sq. dm).
SIDE FINISH: both sides are missing.
END FINISH: both ends are missing.
DESIGN: field: red ground with a tracery of light red stems and blossoms on which are superimposed green stems bearing large, multi-coloured blossoms lying in a central row with a row of half-blossoms along each side border. Horizontally across the field are four pairs of animals; two are tigers chasing spotted deer, one is a leopard chasing an antelope and one is a lion consuming a goat. Birds perch on the green stems.
Main border: dark blue ground with green foliate tracery lies beneath cream stems outlined in red that bear red flowerheads, blossoms and large composite blossoms, every other one being blue with a pale diagonal leaf on either side.
Inner border: cream ground with an angular meander of, largely, blue flowers with red leaves or red flowers with blue leaves.
Innermost border: yellow ground with light blue zigzag outlined in blue.
Outer border: incomplete; shows a red ground with a floral meander with light red stems and leaves and predominantly pale-coloured flowers.

Purchased from Messrs. Sasson & Co., 179 Wardour Street, London.

The animals in this carpet have been placed in bands across the field, but this potentially rigid arrangement is not obvious because it is counter-balanced by many curving floral stems; these curves enhance the rather playful movements of the animals.

674-1890