Physical description
NB: analysed through glass.
Technique: knotted pile.
Warp: cotton; Z 3/4S; depressed; 34 knots to the inch, 136 per dm.
Weft: white; cotton with possible silk; Z-spun; unplied, 2 parallel threads; 16 rows of knots per inch (64 per dm); 3 shoots after each row of knots.
Pile: wool; 14 colours: red, orange, yellow, dark green, light green, dark blue, blue, light blue, purple, pink, light pink, dark grey, dark brown, white; asymmetrical knot open to left tied around 2 warp threads.
Side finish: left - evidence of single cord; right - missing.
End finish: lower - missing; upper - cut.
Design:
Field: red ground; mirrored pairs of large decorated blossoms and smaller flowers lie on pairs of stems that meet vertically and then open into an elongated hexagon before reassembling; the paired stems are in white, dark green and in blue/pink/dark blue; naturalistic flowering plants fill the field and centre (of fragment) and above centre are two vases, the lower one circular. 2 half-vases appear at each side-edge.
Main border: dark blue ground; a pair of blue blossoms and a white rosette; at centre of lower border is a single blue blossom.
Guard stripes: inner - yellow ground with small purple cartouches with small orange flowers alternating with a small 4-lobed decorated blue device between which are 2 pairs of small pink half-flowers along edges; outer - yellow ground with dark green meander bearing red 5-petalled flowers and dark green leaves.
Place of Origin
Kerman (province), Iran (possibly, made)
Date
17th century (made)
Artist/maker
Unknown (production)
Materials and Techniques
Cotton warp, silk and cotton wefts, and wool pile
Dimensions
Length: 523 cm, Width: 330.5 cm
Object history note
This carpet belonged to the British designer William Morris (1834-96) until his death. He used it as a source for his own work. It was kept in the dining room of Kelmscott House until his death.
Purchased from Mrs. William Morris, Kelmscott House, The Mall, Hammersmith.
Descriptive line
Carpet with 'vase' design, Iran (possibly Kirman), 17th century.
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
A. C. Edwards, The Persian Carpet (London: Duckworth 1975): 16, pl. 5.
Labels and date
This 17th-century 'vase carpet' from the Kirman area of southern Iran once graced the dining room of William Morris' home, Kelmscott House. On his death it was purchased by the Museum.
This type of carpet is named after the small vase or vases which appear in many, but not all, of them: a blue and white striped vase can be seen two-thirds of the way up the central part of this carpet.
One of the easiest ways to regulate a pattern is to use a repeating framework on which to place motifs. In vase carpets the framework is created by two or three overlaid lattices. There are three lattices in this example: a white one, a light blue one, and a dark blue/red/light blue one. Large, stylised blossoms have been placed on these lines and realistic sprays of flowers have been placed in the spaces created by the lattices.
The upper part of the carpet is missing. A second, less detailed Vase carpet is 364-1897.
[old label from Gallery 42] [unknown]
Vase Carpet
Iran, possibly Kirman
1600-1700
This carpet is one of a group in which the motifs are organised in a lattice pattern on several levels. As vases often occur in these designs, they are sometimes called 'vase carpets'. The group's weave of cotton, silk and wool is also distinctive. This example belonged to the British designer William Morris (1834-96), who used it as a source for his own work.
Cotton warp (Z3/4S), silk and cotton wefts, and wool pile
Museum no. 719-1897 [Jameel Gallery]
Materials
Cotton; Wool
Techniques
Weaving
Subjects depicted
Flowers
Categories
Floor coverings
Collection code
MES
