Art Institute of Chicago

Carpet

Probably Murcia, Spain

Date

1450-1500

Medium

Wool, "Spanish knots" on plain weave ground

Culture

Spain

Department

Textiles

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

Even as the Christian kingdoms of Spain, led by Castile and Aragon, drove Muslimrulers from the Iberian Peninsula, the Spanish elite acquired a taste for the refined products of Muslim craftsmen, including splendid carpets. Rare surviving 15th-century examples, like this one, repeat small geometric shapes in their central field, sometimes also incorporating the coats of arms of their noble owners. Often of great size—this one is almost 18 feet in length—such carpets softened and enlivened the floors of palaces. Many survived as donations to Spanish convents, entering the art market and private collections around 1900.

The authoritative record is held by Art Institute of Chicago. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.