Carpet
1550-1600 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Carpet weaving in Spain developed during its Moorish occupation in the early medieval period. Inventories from the late 13th to the15th centuries show that Spanish carpets were highly prized in many European countries at a time when almost no floor coverings were being woven elsewhere in Europe. Some early examples adapted Turkish designs, but following the uniting of Spain under Catholic monarchs, at the end of the 15th century, the decorative arts turned increasingly away from Islam and towards Renaissance Europe for inspiration. This carpet provides good example of this, with its border of conventional Renaissance design, and field reminiscent of contemporary woven silk patterns.
The use of the monogram IHS ( Iesus Hominum Salvator ) and the four skulls indicate that the carpet was woven for church use, either at funerals or during Holy Week. By the period this carpet was made the stark imagery of skull and crossbones was well-established shorthand for the fragility of human life, the transitory nature of the flesh, being used on gravestones and monuments as well as in painting and textiles.
The use of the monogram IHS ( Iesus Hominum Salvator ) and the four skulls indicate that the carpet was woven for church use, either at funerals or during Holy Week. By the period this carpet was made the stark imagery of skull and crossbones was well-established shorthand for the fragility of human life, the transitory nature of the flesh, being used on gravestones and monuments as well as in painting and textiles.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Wool pile on wool warp and weft |
| Brief description | Carpet with IHS and skulls, Spanish, late 16th century |
| Physical description | The main field is a trellis of intersecting bands, enclosing stylised floral motifs, in white on a blue ground. There is a large central panel with the sacred monogram IHS, and four smaller panels with skull and crossbones, each within a stylised wreath. The border has a scrolling pattern in yellow outlined with white, on a red ground. 33 warps, 16 wefts to the inch. 270 knots per square inch. |
| Dimensions |
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| Object history | Purchased from the dealers L Harris & Co, Conduit Street, London. Although the price was considered high, at £150, the decision was made to acquire it because of the interest of its design, and "beautiful/fine texture". It was described as characteristically Spanish, with its design incorporating skull and crossbones signifying use during Holy Week or funerals. Historical significance: The use of the monogram IHS ( Iesus Hominum Salvator ) and the four skulls indicate that the carpet was woven for church use, either at funerals or during Holy Week. By the period this carpet was made the stark imagery of skull and crossbones was well-established shorthand for the fragility of human life, the transitory nature of the flesh, being used on gravestones and monuments as well as in painting and textiles. The raw drama of this imagery fits in with the principle of arousing deep emotion in the viewer, a principle promulgated in the Council of Trent (1545-63) and adopted in countries that espoused Counter-reformation ideology. |
| Historical context | Carpet weaving in Spain developed during the Moorish colonisation of the Iberian peninsula. Inventories from the late 13th to the15th centuries show that Spanish carpets were highly prized by Europeans at a time when almost no floor coverings were being woven elsewhere in Europe. The most important weaving centre was Alcaraz, in the Province of Murcia. Turkish carpet prototypes were adapted into distinctly European forms, reaching a peak in the 15th century, and continuing into the 17th; after the Christian re-conquest of the South, those Muslim craftsmen who chose to become Christian and remain in Spain continued to produce high quality carpets. Following this uniting of Spain under Catholic monarchs, at the end of the 15th century, the decorative arts turned increasingly away from Islam and towards Renaissance Europe for inspiration. This carpet provides good example of this, with its border of conventional Renaissance design, and field reminiscent of contemporary woven silk patterns. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | Carpet weaving in Spain developed during its Moorish occupation in the early medieval period. Inventories from the late 13th to the15th centuries show that Spanish carpets were highly prized in many European countries at a time when almost no floor coverings were being woven elsewhere in Europe. Some early examples adapted Turkish designs, but following the uniting of Spain under Catholic monarchs, at the end of the 15th century, the decorative arts turned increasingly away from Islam and towards Renaissance Europe for inspiration. This carpet provides good example of this, with its border of conventional Renaissance design, and field reminiscent of contemporary woven silk patterns. The use of the monogram IHS ( Iesus Hominum Salvator ) and the four skulls indicate that the carpet was woven for church use, either at funerals or during Holy Week. By the period this carpet was made the stark imagery of skull and crossbones was well-established shorthand for the fragility of human life, the transitory nature of the flesh, being used on gravestones and monuments as well as in painting and textiles. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | 250-1906 |
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| Record created | June 13, 2006 |
| Record URL |
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