Shaped Carpet

From its beginning in the sixteenth century, the artistic tradition of the Indian court under the Mughal emperors was heavily influenced by Persian culture and taste. Mughal carpets of the seventeenth century, with their scrolling vines and palmettes, often imitated Persian design models. Along with the Persian-influenced type, however, a native Indian rug tradition emerged, one with totally different designs and styles of drawing and color. One such design consisted of rows of different varieties of flowering plants, including iris, tulip, and poppy, which the artists drew and colored with a far greater concern for naturalistic representation than in Persian art.

With its brightly colored flowers arranged on a cherry red ground, the Art Museum’s carpet belongs to this latter type. Its arch-shaped configuration suggests that it may have been used at the side of a dais for a prominent court official. Alternatively, it may have accompanied a central circular carpet.

On the basis of its style, we can date this carpet to approximately 1640 or 1650, during the reign of Shah Jahan (ruled 1628–58). Its stylistic source may be the European herbals of the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, which were brought to India by European travelers and missionaries.