Ardabil Carpet
Encyclopedia
The Ardabil Carpet is either of a pair of two famous Persian carpets in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum
in London
and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art
.
The foundation is of silk
with wool
pile of a knot density at 300-350 knots per square inch (470-540.000 knots per square metres, i.e. 26 million total knots). The size of the London carpet is 34½ feet by 17½ feet ( 10,5 metres x 5,3 metres). The carpets have an inscription: a couplet
from a ghazal
by Persian mythic poet Hafiz Shirazi and a signature. The difference in size between the two lamp motifs flanking the central medallion is now seen as a deliberate use of graphical perspective; when seen from the end with the smaller lamp the two appear the same size.
Completed during the rule of the Safavid Shah
Tahmasp I
in the mid-16th century, probably in Tabriz
, the carpets are considered some of the best of the classical Persian school of carpet creation. They were first placed in a mosque
in Ardabil
, but they had become heavily worn in Iran
and were sold in 1890 to a British
carpet broker who restored one of the carpets using the other and then resold the restored one to the Victoria and Albert Museum. William Morris
, then an art referee
for the V&A, was instrumental in the acquisition.
The second "secret" carpet, smaller, now borderless and with some of the field missing, and made up from the remaining usable sections, was sold to American businessmen Clarence Mackay
and was exchanged by wealthy buyers for years. Passing through the Mackay, Yerkes
, and De la Mare art collections, it was eventually revealed and shown in 1931 at an exhibition in London
. American industrialist J. Paul Getty
saw it, and bought it from Lord Duveen for approximately $70,000 several years later. Getty was approached by agents on behalf of King Farouk of Egypt
who offered $250,000 so that it could be given as a wedding present. Getty later donated the carpet to the Museum of Science, History, and Art in the Exposition Park
in Los Angeles
. Other fragments have appeared on the market from time to time. The number of knots per inch is actually higher on the Los Angeles carpet.
This most famous of Persian carpets has been the subject of endless copies ranging in size from small rugs to full scale carpets. There is an 'Ardabil' at 10 Downing Street
and even Hitler had an 'Ardabil' in his office in Berlin
. The London carpet was for decades displayed hanging on a wall, but is now shown flat in a special glass pavilion in the centre of the main gallery of Islamic art
. The lighting is kept low for conservation reasons.
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is an art museum in Los Angeles, California. It is located on Wilshire Boulevard along Museum Row in the Miracle Mile vicinity of Los Angeles, adjacent to the George C. Page Museum and La Brea Tar Pits....
.
The foundation is of silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
with wool
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
pile of a knot density at 300-350 knots per square inch (470-540.000 knots per square metres, i.e. 26 million total knots). The size of the London carpet is 34½ feet by 17½ feet ( 10,5 metres x 5,3 metres). The carpets have an inscription: a couplet
Couplet
A couplet is a pair of lines of meter in poetry. It usually consists of two lines that rhyme and have the same meter.While traditionally couplets rhyme, not all do. A poem may use white space to mark out couplets if they do not rhyme. Couplets with a meter of iambic pentameter are called heroic...
from a ghazal
Ghazal
The ghazal is a poetic form consisting of rhyming couplets and a refrain, with each line sharing the same meter. A ghazal may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss or separation and the beauty of love in spite of that pain. The form is ancient, originating in 6th century...
by Persian mythic poet Hafiz Shirazi and a signature. The difference in size between the two lamp motifs flanking the central medallion is now seen as a deliberate use of graphical perspective; when seen from the end with the smaller lamp the two appear the same size.
Completed during the rule of the Safavid Shah
Shah
Shāh is the title of the ruler of certain Southwest Asian and Central Asian countries, especially Persia , and derives from the Persian word shah, meaning "king".-History:...
Tahmasp I
Tahmasp I
Tahmasp or Tahmasb I was an influential Shah of Iran, who enjoyed the longest reign of any member of the Safavid dynasty...
in the mid-16th century, probably in Tabriz
Tabriz
Tabriz is the fourth largest city and one of the historical capitals of Iran and the capital of East Azerbaijan Province. Situated at an altitude of 1,350 meters at the junction of the Quri River and Aji River, it was the second largest city in Iran until the late 1960s, one of its former...
, the carpets are considered some of the best of the classical Persian school of carpet creation. They were first placed in a mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
in Ardabil
Ardabil
Ardabil is a historical city in north-western Iran. The name Ardabil probably comes from the Zoroastrian name of "Artavil" which means a holy place. Ardabil is the center of Ardabil Province. At the 2006 census, its population was 412,669, in 102,818 families...
, but they had become heavily worn in Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
and were sold in 1890 to a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
carpet broker who restored one of the carpets using the other and then resold the restored one to the Victoria and Albert Museum. William Morris
William Morris
William Morris 24 March 18343 October 1896 was an English textile designer, artist, writer, and socialist associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and the English Arts and Crafts Movement...
, then an art referee
Peer review
Peer review is a process of self-regulation by a profession or a process of evaluation involving qualified individuals within the relevant field. Peer review methods are employed to maintain standards, improve performance and provide credibility...
for the V&A, was instrumental in the acquisition.
The second "secret" carpet, smaller, now borderless and with some of the field missing, and made up from the remaining usable sections, was sold to American businessmen Clarence Mackay
Clarence Mackay
Clarence Hungerford Mackay was an American financier, believed to inherit most of a $500 million estate in 1902. In 1926, his daughter Ellin married Irving Berlin against her father's wishes and he disinherited her....
and was exchanged by wealthy buyers for years. Passing through the Mackay, Yerkes
Charles Yerkes
Charles Tyson Yerkes was an American financier, born in Philadelphia. He played a major part in developing mass-transit systems in Chicago and London.-Philadelphia:...
, and De la Mare art collections, it was eventually revealed and shown in 1931 at an exhibition in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. American industrialist J. Paul Getty
J. Paul Getty
Jean Paul Getty was an American industrialist. He founded the Getty Oil Company, and in 1957 Fortune magazine named him the richest living American, whilst the 1966 Guinness Book of Records named him as the world's richest private citizen, worth an estimated $1,200 million. At his death, he was...
saw it, and bought it from Lord Duveen for approximately $70,000 several years later. Getty was approached by agents on behalf of King Farouk of Egypt
Farouk of Egypt
Farouk I of Egypt , was the tenth ruler from the Muhammad Ali Dynasty and the penultimate King of Egypt and Sudan, succeeding his father, Fuad I, in 1936....
who offered $250,000 so that it could be given as a wedding present. Getty later donated the carpet to the Museum of Science, History, and Art in the Exposition Park
Exposition Park (Los Angeles)
Exposition Park is located in University Park, Los Angeles, California, across the street from the University of Southern California. Exposition Park houses the following:* Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum* Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Other fragments have appeared on the market from time to time. The number of knots per inch is actually higher on the Los Angeles carpet.
This most famous of Persian carpets has been the subject of endless copies ranging in size from small rugs to full scale carpets. There is an 'Ardabil' at 10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street, colloquially known in the United Kingdom as "Number 10", is the headquarters of Her Majesty's Government and the official residence and office of the First Lord of the Treasury, who is now always the Prime Minister....
and even Hitler had an 'Ardabil' in his office in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. The London carpet was for decades displayed hanging on a wall, but is now shown flat in a special glass pavilion in the centre of the main gallery of Islamic art
Islamic art
Islamic art encompasses the visual arts produced from the 7th century onwards by people who lived within the territory that was inhabited by or ruled by culturally Islamic populations...
. The lighting is kept low for conservation reasons.