Publication Date
10th / 16th century
Publication Place
-
Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts
Subject
A composite wool woven with a Turkish double knit known as the Gerdes knit.
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Physical Dimensions
الطول: 789 سم؛ العرض: 360 سم
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Library Asset ID
696–697
Record ID
object;ISL;tr;Mus01;27;ar
Library Location
Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts
Date
10th / 16th century
Notes
Ushakia carpet from the 10th / 16th century, with its weft and weft woven from wool. The technique used in knitting is the “Turkish double knit” which is known as the Gerdes knit. The carpet consists of two pieces. On the red ground with zigzag patterns, shapes known as chintamani or belink (formations of color spots similar to those on the body of a leopard or lines similar to those on the body of a leopard) were drawn. There are black and dark blue Chintamani shapes inscribed in blue arranged alongside yellow tiger stripes inscribed in black, according to the rule of infinity. These forms have Buddhist roots, and reflect the influence of Far Eastern art. They can be seen on clothing in the images found in the Tervan Caves in Qinkiang, China, which were probably painted in the 1-3 / 7-9 centuries. Chintamani or belink designs were used as symbols of power and authority, and entered Ottoman court arts with the occupation of Tabriz, following the victory in the Battle of Chaldiran in 920 / 1514 by Sultan Selim I (r. 918-927 / 1512- 1520). From the 10th-12th / 16th-18th centuries, these forms became seen in the decorative arts performed by artists under the supervision of the court, especially in the manufacture of textiles, ceramics, bookbinding, and woodworking. It was more common under Sultan Selim II (reigned 974-982 / 1566-1574). On the perimeter of the carpet there are two narrow borders and one wide border. The first narrow border consists of a dark blue ground between a red-orange area containing blue and red spots, and a red line. It is also covered with lavender and carnation flowers intertwined with a network of red stems. The wide border is decorated with dense lotus flowers, rose petals, and simplified shapes of flowers and leaves, in light and dark red colors with brown edges. The outermost border is covered with drawings of lavender and carnation flowers in dark blue, blue and pale yellow, distributed between intertwined stems on a red background.
Sample Text
Gönül Tekeli “Carpet” in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;ISL;tr;Mus01;27;ar
