Medallion Ushak Carpet

The source of the carpet comes from the book How to Read – Islamic Carpets, Walter B. Denny, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York 2014 fig.58 and Antique Rugs from the Near East, Wilhelm von Bode and Ernst Kühnel, Klinkhardt & Biermann, Berlin 1958, pg.40 and Oriental Carpets in the Museum of Islamic Art Berlin, Friedrich Spuhler, Faber and Faber Ltd, 1988, pl.11. This 17th-century medallion carpet is from central Anatolia, circa 1500-1550. The town of Ushak, north of Denizli, is probably one of the most important and renowned carpet centers. Carpets have survived from the 16th century and can be seen in several museums. In the 17th century great quantities of Ushak carpets were made for the royal houses of Europe, often incorporating crests; many Christian churches, not only in Transylvania, were often decorated with very large pieces. According to their structure and patterning, there are several types of Ushak carpets: the star Ushak, the medallion Ushak, the 'bird' carpet (with a white background, the name relates to the shapes of the field motifs), and 'Chintamani' carpets (often with a white background and three-ball pattern, mostly in connection with cloud bands). Many great painters have ensured the survival of Ushak carpet designs by including them in their works. Two representatives of the Ushak group take their name from such renowned artists: pieces with plaited band medallions in several variations are named 'Holbein' carpets after Hans Holbein, the younger; 'Lotto' carpets refer to the painter Lorenzo Lotto. Beautiful old Ushak carpets are rare and seldom appear in the trade.This carpet has a finely drawn round medallion, enclosed by two pendants. The red-ground field displays the usual floral motifs and sections of lobed medallions, which simulate an infinite design. The original one is at Turk Islam Eserleri Museum, formerly in Piyale Pasha Mosque, Istanbul. The design of the carpet is interpreted by our designers, and vivid colors are used for this carpet.