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"Lotto" rug, XVI
century,
Western Turkey, Ushak Region, Ottoman Empire. Victoria and Albert Museum,
London, inventory no: 903-1897. Formerly belonged to Giuseppe Salvadori in
Florence
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Date:
1550-1600 (made)
Materials and
Techniques: Hand-knotted woollen pile on woollen warp and weft
Gallery location:
British Galleries, Room 58, case WN
Object
Type
From the evidence of 16th and 17th century paintings, this type of
small, brightly coloured Turkish carpet remained popular in Europe for
almost 200 years. Although variations are known, the design is
characterised by a grid-like arrangement of stylised octagons and crosses
in red and yellow.
Trading
'Lotto' carpets were woven in
commercial workshops in western Turkey, probably near the port of Smyrna
(modern Izmir), from about 1516 to about 1700. They were exported in large
numbers to central and western Europe along two main trade routes: across
the Mediterranean to Italy and Spain, and along the rivers Danube and
Rhine to the Low Countries.
Materials and Making
In a pile
fabric, such as this carpet, the foundation consists of two sets of
threads, warp and weft, which interlace at right angles. The pile is
created by tying a knot of coloured thread around two adjacent warp
threads, building up the design row by row while the foundation is being
woven by the insertion of weft. It requires only a simple loom and is
easily done by hand. In this carpet there are 1,474 knots per square
decimetre.
Physical description
Carpet, Lotto design, hand
knotted woollen pile on woollen warp and weft, Turkish, 16th/17th century.
Warp: white wool' Z2S' 17 threads per inch/67 per dm
Weft: red
wool; Z2S; 2 shoots after every row of knots; 11 knots per inch/44 per dm.
Pile: wool; 7 colours: red, light yellow, green, dark blue, blue, dark
brown, white; symmetrical knot tied around two warp threads; 93 knots per
sq. inch/ 1474 per sq.dm
Side Finish: missing
End Finish: missing
Design: Field: red ground with light yellow 'Lotto' design outlined in
dark brown and with dark blue details. The pattern is formed with one
vertical row, of three and a half elements along the centre, with
ahorizontal motifs to either side. The 'Lotto' design is a combination of
foliate and 'kelim' edges.
Main Border: blue [lower] and green [upper]
ground with a box-like kufeque pattern in white outlined with dark brown
and with red and some dark blue and light yellow details. The sides have a
light yellow ground with details in red and blue.
Inner border: blue
ground with dark brown meander.
Outer border: upper: red ground with
dark brown meander linking rectangles in green, white and blue. Lower:
missing but evidence that the border was like the upper outer border. The
left side outer border is missing. The right side outer border has a red
ground with dark brown meander linking squares and diamonds in white, blue
and light yellow.
Place of Origin
Turkey (made)
Dimensions
Length: 178.2 cm including fringe, Width: 106 cm including
fringe
Object history note
Purchased (as a "Persian Rug, worn
and repaired") from Giuseppe Salvadori in Florence, by Arthur Skinner,
then Assistant Director of the Museum.
Memo of 16 November 1897 to
Sir John Donnelly asks permission for Mr Skinner "to purchase objects to
the value of £100 during his holiday in Italy with "expenses for eight
days (£8.8s)."
24/9 Mr Skinner to Mr Clarke reports: "Salvadori,
Florence, embroideries, carpets (paid) frs. 760.
Minute paper: "The
following amounts written off Mr Skinner's imprest account 4th January
1898
Amount paid to G. Salvadori Lire 240 @ 26.40 = £ 9. 1. 9d.
520 @ 26.41 19.13. 9
Labels and date
British Galleries:
This
carpet is from an easily identifiable group of Turkish carpets with a red
and yellow pattern of octagons and crosses. They appear in many paintings
including those by the Italian artist Lorenzo Lotto (about 1480-1556).
They were named after this painter in the 19th century. Turkish carpets
were very popular in Europe in the 16th century and were generally used as
table carpets. [27/03/2003]
Collection
Middle East Section |
