GUJARAT OR DECCAN, INDIA, CIRCA 1780

The peripatetic Mughal court used cotton floorspreads such as this in the summer months in place of the silk and wool carpets of the winter. They can be seen in many Mughal miniature paintings from the 17th century onwards. Their floral designs are laid out in the Mughal fashion, either scrolling or arranged in sprays, whilst the placement of the central medallion and of the corner palmettes pointing inwards recall Islamic carpets.