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Lot Essay
The knot measures approximately 22/23 V x 18H per cm. sq.
Though later than the Mughal pashmina carpet in the present sale, this smaller rug continues in the tradition established in those imperial workshops. It too is woven on a silk structure with a pashmina wool pile, suggesting a likely origin in Kashmir, possibly in Srinagar. Its aesthetic is inspired by classical prototypes: it is a miniaturised version of a design known from a pair of Safavid compartment carpets, one kept in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and the other in the Musée des Tissus in Lyon. Both features a floral lattice in the ivory field, duelling dragons and phoenixes in the medallions and a cartouche border containing a series of Chinese-inspired cloud bands (M. S. Dimand and Jean Mailey, Oriental Rugs in Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1973, p.98) . The only major departure from the original design on the present lot is the substitution of elephants for the lion ch’i-lins inside the secondary medallions, intended to give the rug a more Indian flavour.
The turn of the century saw a concerted effort to develop India’s carpet weaving industry, after the Great Exhibition of 1851 stimulated Western demand for Indian handicrafts. Carpets were manufactured in new factories, often with the labour of India’s incarcerated population. The designs used were frequently inspired by classical designs which had only recently begun to be published in watercolour plates. Though the expansion of the industry inevitably brought with it a loss in quality, this rug was likely used as a showpiece to demonstrate the apex of what was possible. It was and remains absolutely exceptional for the fineness of its weaving, the execution of its design, and the clarity of its drawing.
Though later than the Mughal pashmina carpet in the present sale, this smaller rug continues in the tradition established in those imperial workshops. It too is woven on a silk structure with a pashmina wool pile, suggesting a likely origin in Kashmir, possibly in Srinagar. Its aesthetic is inspired by classical prototypes: it is a miniaturised version of a design known from a pair of Safavid compartment carpets, one kept in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and the other in the Musée des Tissus in Lyon. Both features a floral lattice in the ivory field, duelling dragons and phoenixes in the medallions and a cartouche border containing a series of Chinese-inspired cloud bands (M. S. Dimand and Jean Mailey, Oriental Rugs in Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1973, p.98) . The only major departure from the original design on the present lot is the substitution of elephants for the lion ch’i-lins inside the secondary medallions, intended to give the rug a more Indian flavour.
The turn of the century saw a concerted effort to develop India’s carpet weaving industry, after the Great Exhibition of 1851 stimulated Western demand for Indian handicrafts. Carpets were manufactured in new factories, often with the labour of India’s incarcerated population. The designs used were frequently inspired by classical designs which had only recently begun to be published in watercolour plates. Though the expansion of the industry inevitably brought with it a loss in quality, this rug was likely used as a showpiece to demonstrate the apex of what was possible. It was and remains absolutely exceptional for the fineness of its weaving, the execution of its design, and the clarity of its drawing.