Publication Date
7th / 13th 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: 519 سم؛ العرض: 294 سم
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Library Asset ID
681
Record ID
object;ISL;tr;Mus01;11;ar
Library Location
Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts
Date
7th / 13th century
Notes
This piece is considered a prominent example of Konya carpets, and is considered one of the oldest types of Turkish carpets in Anatolia. The weft and warp are made of wool, and the knitting technique is the “Turkish double knit” known as the Gerdes knit. The colors used are red, dark blue, blue, and the color of natural wool. The main section of the rug includes a red repeating hook-shaped geometric pattern, woven on a light red background. The themes of triangles, octagons, tandem angles and hook shapes are inspired by the recurring geometric pattern found in Seljuk carpets. The decorative structure is dominated by the “infinite” element, which is typical of Turkish carpets. The patterns are repeated continuously, and the repeated shapes are separated by blue dots that stand out in strong contrast with the red background. Surrounding the main section of the carpet is a narrow border made up of dark blue eight-pointed stars separated by yellowish-beige lines. The most prominent feature of the carpet is the wide border decorated with Kufic script, consisting of clear Kufic letters, in a light blue color, following each other over a dark blue background. These letters are separated by red bands framed in beige. These borders, decorated with Kufibarz script, are characteristic of Seljuk carpets. The decorative pattern of the carpet is completed by a narrow outer border decorated with eight-pointed star shapes colored in red on a blue background. The carpet is quite worn out, most of the velvet has been removed, parts of its outer edges are missing, and there is a large tear in the middle. Seljuk carpets were woven in large dimensions and decorated with simple geometric patterns consisting of a few colors of varying shades that create a desirable contrast with the wide border decorated with Kufic calligraphy. This carpet was found in the Alaeddin Mosque in Konya, and is one of eight Seljuk carpets brought to the museum. It was recorded in the list of assets on 30 Rabi’ al-Awwal 1329 / 31 March 1911.
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;11;ar
