Page 307 - Decorative Arts, Part II: Far Eastern Ceramics and Paintings, Persian and Indian Rugs and Carpets

are approximately the same size, and have red fields. pairs, but as duplicates "manufactured at different times
Dilley's remark that the color of the Morgan-Widener from the same designs, to be given away as imperial pre-
rug "rises to utmost regal splendor" can be applied to all sents." 12 Erdmann placed less emphasis on the rugs as
rugs in the series. 7 pairs, and suggested that the similarities were achieved
13
Although in their designs the medallion rugs are very by the use of six different cartoons. Herrmann rejected
similar, differences give each an individual character. the pair theory altogether and sought to explain the phe-
Rather than embark on an exhaustive comparative analy- nomenon of similar rugs with different designs by not-
sis, for the sake of brevity this discussion confines itself to ing that "we are seeing a few survivors from what was
essentials. The distinguishing characteristic of the once a substantial production." He theorized that the
Morgan-Widener rug is the thin floral tendril that runs rugs were either available in "standard" versions, or cus-
around the medallion forming a diadem pattern, uniting tom-designed to a patron's particular specifications, the
a series of polygonal cartouches that contain stylized designs achieved through the use of cartoons, or "a basic
cloudbands. This device finds a close parallel in the Wher stock of patterns, the combination of which could be
rug, where an equally thin tendril connects palmettes and endlessly varied." 14 In his recent article on the
pendants situated around its octafoil medallion; large Metropolitan Museum's silk Kashans, Daniel Walker
ivory cloudbands appear in each of its cornerpieces. A opined that the paired rugs were "virtual twins," made
much thicker band runs around the quatrefoil medallions through the use of a "pattern-book of designs, rather
of four other rugs in the group. They are: the Taylor- than fixed overall cartoons," and he was reluctant to dis-
Altman rug (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York); count the idea that they had been designed to be used
the Wittelsbach rug (Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, together, as was the case with later Polonaise rugs. 15
Munich); the Coimbra rug (Museu Nacional de Machado Herrmann's theories suffer from two objections: First,
8
de Castro, Coimbra, Portugal); and the Khalili rug. The the differences between the paired rugs are so subtle that
Rothschild rug in Vienna resembles the Morgan-Widener it is difficult to imagine a patron deliberately specifying
example in that it also has cartouches containing cloud- such minute alterations; second, the fact that only six-
bands arranged around its medallion, but they are not teen small silk rugs are known to survive, while over
linked together. The presence of the cloudband in the three-hundred Polonaises exist, suggests that the former
fields of both these rugs links them to the Swedish Royal were made on a much more limited or exclusive basis.
hunting carpet, where the motif is prominently displayed Because of the small number of these rugs and the
throughout the field. 9 Erdmann pointed out that the absence of documentary information about their pro-
main border of the octafoil-type Portuguese-Israelite duction, one is limited to speculation. The pair theory is
Community rug (Collection of the Portuguese-Israelite certainly feasible, although no pattern books or cartoons
10
Community, Amsterdam), in which large palmette blos- from the period survive; the weavers clearly relied on a
soms point outward with smaller blossoms alternating systematic method for reproducing designs, which they
and framed in a shield, closely resembles the National did with great flexibility, variety, and skill.
Gallery's rug, and to a lesser extent the Johnston-Moffat Basing their opinions on strong circumstantial evi-
rug (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York). 11 dence, scholars have generally agreed that the silk carpets
Riefstahl noted that each of the Metropolitan and rugs were made at Kashan during the second half of
Museum's Altman rugs had "counterparts" or "mates in the sixteenth century. 16 In 1540 Michele Membre, the
European collections, which repeat their color and the Venetian Doge's envoy to Tahmasp, made the earliest-
composition in a practically identical manner." Small documented reference to Kashan as an important
discrepancies in their size, design, and color led him to Persian mercantile center for silk products. The first ref-
believe that they were not deliberately made as pendant erence to actual carpet production in the city occurred in

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