Carpet 1601 - 1625

Editor: We're looking at a carpet from between 1601 and 1625, maker unknown, housed here at the Art Institute of Chicago. It’s all geometric patterns, a striking blend of red, gold, and blue woven into a complex design. There's a sense of faded grandeur. What’s your take on this textile, what stands out to you? Curator: You know, I imagine this carpet whispering stories of sumptuous gatherings and hushed conversations. It's fascinating how the anonymous artist weaves together geometric precision with what feels almost like a chaotic dance of color. I think there is something so wonderful in that paradox; order and disorder meet in perfect, imperfect harmony. It makes me think: How do these colors—this blood orange, lapis lazuli, shimmering gold—speak to you? What do they evoke? Editor: I can see that. They feel very opulent and stately, almost…regal. And the wear and tear, the fading…it speaks of history. It gives me a sense of wonder, but what I also see is history passing over something made very beautifully by hand. Curator: Yes, that’s absolutely what I feel as well. And when you think about the tradition of textile production in Islamic art during that period, these rugs weren't just floor coverings, were they? They were portable paradises. Editor: Definitely changes my perspective thinking of it as something so carefully wrought and then also portable! Almost like moving sacred space around with you. Curator: Exactly! This carpet invites you not just to look, but to dream, and travel across the world into the historical past. Editor: I agree; that’s a gorgeous perspective to keep in mind! Thanks for helping me really "see" the art more clearly today.