Publication Date
10th / 16th century
Publication Place
-
Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts
Subject
Composite wool, woven with a Turkish double knit, also known as a Gerdes knit.
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Physical Dimensions
الطول: 292 سم؛ العرض: 170 سم
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Library Asset ID
468
Record ID
object;ISL;tr;Mus01;39;ar
Library Location
Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts
Date
10th / 16th century
Notes
This carpet was woven in the Western Anatolia region in the 10th / 16th century. The warp and weft are made of wool. The weaving technique used is the 'Turkish double knit', known as the Gerdes knit. The carpet is divided into five sections: two octagons alternating with large rectangles on a dark brown ground within a band of pink ornaments. Within the rectangles with a red background are concentric octagons that form the main subject. In the center of each octagon there is a pink ornament in the shape of a six-pointed star. As for the inner octagon, which resembles a rose ornament due to the interlocking and hooked shapes surrounding the central star, it is surrounded by a field filled with a group of stars interspersed with simplified white and red leaves. The main octagon is executed with overlapping patterns in yellow and blue, while the corner fillings, composed of curly shapes, complete the large rectangle. There are two narrow borders with designs of leaves and interconnected chains surrounding the main frame, which consists of simplified Kufic inscriptions on a dark blue ground. The interlocking patterns of the fake Kufic calligraphy, colored white, yellow, green and blue with red edges, were executed in order to stand out in contrast to the contrasting colors that interspersed between them. Turkish carpets, which occupy an important place in Turkish trade, were exported in large quantities to European markets since the beginning of the 8th / 14th century. As expensive export goods, these carpets were in wide demand from noble families, church officials and wealthy middle classes involved in Trade. These people were so fond of paintings that they asked for their personal pictures to be drawn on their carpets in order to decorate their churches and palaces. These paintings, which were completed by many European artists at the beginning of the 15th century AD, played an important role in establishing the history and style of these carpets. Some carpets, known as 'Holbein' carpets, appear in paintings by the artist Hans Holbein (1497-1543 AD), while some are known in carpet terminology as 'Holbein' carpets even though they do not appear in any painting. It is estimated that the current piece is one of a group known as 'Holbein IV'.
Sample Text
Sevgi Kutluay “Holbein Carpet” in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;ISL;tr;Mus01;39;ar
