Carpet

Date17th or 18th century

MediumWool

Dimensions46" X 63"

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1956-252

DescriptionCarpet: Ghiordes knot; about 86 knots per square inch; two shoots of pink wool weft after each row of knots. Colors: Ground; field-red, spandrels- dark blue, border- creamy-yellow, cartouches- white, red, guard bands- red and black brown, edgings-red. Pattern: white, yellow, pink, red, light blue, dark blue, dark brown. The field has a double-arched niche, one at each end with a mosque lamp in the apex of the arch. The rest of the field has angular floral scrolls with palmettes, birds, rosettes, and leaves. In the four spandrels are stylized leaves and composite rosettes. The border contains a series of angular cartouches with arabesques and stems bearing leaves and small rosettes. The outer and inner guard bands have a reciprocal pattern of trefoils.

Construction History
17th or 18th century: Initial construction
1956: Lined (with purchase), by Beshir Galleries (New York, NY)Label TextThis carpet, with its arabesque field, symmetrically opposed niches, and oblong cartouche border design, is like the prayer rugs found in the large collections of Transylvania churches. Some Turkey carpets--made for export rather than prayer--were used in English and American homes in the eighteenth century. The social signifcance and value of their ownership were recorded in a variety of English and American eighteenth-century paintings.Inscription(s)None foundMark(s)None foundProvenancePrior to 1956, Beshir Galleries (New York, NY); 1956-present, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation (Williamsburg, VA)