Carpet, medallion design

Date18th or 19th century

MediumWool pile, natural wool warps, pink wool wefts.

DimensionsOW: 72"; OL: 120"

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1958-261

DescriptionMedallion design carpet. Ghiordes knot; approximately 48 knots per square inch' two shoots of red wool weft after each row of knots. Colors: field-red, medallion-dark blue, border-dark blue, outer guard-red, innnerguard band-light blue. Pattern: white, yellow, light blue, dark blue, green, black-brown. The field has an oval medallion with an attached pendant at each end, both filled with arabesque scrolls bearing half palmettes and interlacing floral scrolls. In each corner of the field is a section of medallions. The rest of the field is decorated with an all-over pattern of floral scrolls bearing four large leafy palmettes and many other smaller palmettes. The border has floral scrolls with large plamettes alternating with stems bearing lotus palmettes, buds, & leaves. In the inner guard band is a wavy geometric scroll: in the outer guard band a series of stylized leaves and spiral scrolls.

Construction History
18th or 19th century: Initial construction
1958: Lining added by Beshir Galleries (New York, NY)
Dates unknown: Selvedges overcast, mixed-fiber fringe added, repairedLabel TextKnown today as "medallion Ushak," this carpet's traditional design consists of a large central medallion and corner segments on a ground of floral vine tracery. Such carpets remained popular with Europeans through most of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and the techniques used to produce them changed little.Inscription(s)NoneMark(s)NoneProvenancePrior to 1958, Beshir Galleries (New York, NY); 1958-present, purchased by The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation (Williamsburg, VA)