Mamluk Rug with Cup Motif

The source of the rug comes from the book Renaissance of Islam, Art of the Mamluks, Esin Atil, Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D.C., 1981 nr.125. This a rug with a cup motif design late 15th-century rug from Mamluk Sultane of Cairo, Egypt. It is exhibited at the Washington D.C. The Textile Museum, R.16.1.2 . The layout of this rug is characteristic of the smaller, almost square Mamluk carpet. A wide border encloses the field, divided into horizontal units consisting of a central square flanked above and below by rectangular panels. The height of the rectangular panels is approximately one-third that of the square and is equal to the width of the border. The corners of the central square are cut into triangles, creating an octagon with green ground. The octagon contains a blue polylobed medallion, which encloses an eight-pointed star with a multipetaled rosette in the core. The area between the star and the lobed medallion has floral motifs springing outward from the arms of the star. The angles of the octagon bear eight isolated and irregular polygons with a red ground; each of these units is adorned with a multipetaled rosette enclosed by a square with papyrus motifs springing from its sides and corners. The field of the octagon is filled with similar papyrus sprays, some of which appear to grow from the eight stemmed cups placed between the polygons. The triangles in the corner bear a checkerboard pattern with a stylized lotus blossom (or fleur-de-lis) in each segment. The compositional layout of the rug is reminiscent of the illuminated frontispieces, which reveal similar proportions and internal divisions. Radiating designs of geometric components filled with floral motifs are a characteristic feature of Mamluk art, as observed in manuscripts, metalwork, glass, ceramics, woodwork, and textiles of the era. The stemmed cups represented in the central square appear to have been inspired by the blazon of the saqi. Here, the cups are used as a decorative feature and cannot be identified as blazons. The same decorative motif is found on a rug in Berlin. The design of the rug is interpreted by our designers with two medallions, the most appropriate colors to match the original are used for this rug.

Color summary: 4 colors in total;

• Imperial Red  426 (Madder Root)
• Pale Green  439 (Chamomile - Indigo)
• Cadet Blue 26 (Spurge - Indigo)
• Sunray Color  405 (Henna)