Carpet, 16th century
Probably Turkey
Animal hair (warp and weft), wool (pile); asymmetrically knotted pile
Technical Glossary
Probably Turkey
Animal hair (warp and weft), wool (pile); asymmetrically knotted pile
H. 73 1/2 in. (186.7 cm), W. 51 in. (129.5 cm)
Gift of Joseph V. McMullan, 1969 (69.267)
With a repeating pattern of eight-pointed strapwork stars, and an unusual texture and weave, Syrian carpets such as this were exported to Europe, where they were occasionally depicted by Dutch painters. A feature common to all of these carpets, which appear to be commercial products, is that the corners of the borders are invariably carefully articulated, even at the expense of cutting off motifs in the field.
