Animal combat carpet. Stylistically, this carpet is close to the art of the Timurid period from Herat, but a more plausible place of production seems to be southern Iran. The carpet has a counterpart in the so-called 'Emperor's Carpet' in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (MET 43.121.1). The motifs of the immensely fine design are mirrored four times on a red ground around the horizontal and vertical axes; fantasy blossoms alternate with animal depictions and Chinese-inspired cloudbands. Moreover, the contrasting green-grounded border exhibits three delicate tendril systems laid on top of each other. In the accompanying border, a poem by the 12th-century poet Zahir Faryabi, written in nasta `liq script, praises love, nature and the king of the world, for whom the pair of carpets was made. Iran, Mid-16th century. Museum für angewandte Kunst, Vienna, T 8334
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Unknown artist<span style="display: none;">Unknown artist</span></div>
Mid-16th century
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