Blumenthal Ottoman court carpet, Egypt, late 16th–17th century. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Ottoman Court Carpet
Date: late 16th–17th century
Geography: Egypt
Culture: Islamic
Medium: Wool (warp, weft and pile); asymmetrically knotted pile
Dimensions: Rug: Gr. L. 226 1/4 in. (574.7 cm) Gr. W. 112 in. (284.5 cm) L. of proper right: 223in. (566.4cm) L. of proper left: 224in. (569cm) Tube: L. 131 1/4 in. (333.4 cm) Diam. 11 in. (27.9 cm) Classification: Textiles-Rugs Credit Line: Bequest of George Blumenthal, 1941
Accession Number: 41.190.257
This artwork is not on display

Description
This splendid carpet, with feathery leaves, stylized lotus flowers, and tightly curled cloud‑band scrolls, displays characteristics associated with a group of carpets of debated provenance. While the wool and weaving methods of this group are akin to carpets woven in Egypt, their designs probably were produced in Istanbul. Documents reveal that on at least one occasion in 1585, the Ottoman sultan Murad III requested that a number of Cairene weavers, along with a quantity of Egyptian wool, be brought to the court in Istanbul. Such interactions may explain the unexpected combination of materials, technique, and design found in these carpets.
Provenance
George and Florence Blumenthal, Paris and New York (by 1935–41)