Page 216 - ART OF THE ISLAMIC AND INDIAN WORLDS Carpets, Ceramics Objects, Christie's London Oct..27, 2022

PASHMINA PATTERNS
In most rug-weaving cultures, silk is the most valuable and sumptuous fibre There are many extant examples of Indian carpets with flowers shown in
available and is thus the one typically employed for the pile of the highest silhouette. Some of these, of commercial grade, have flowers arranged in
grades of luxury carpets. In Mughal culture, in northern India, this was not rows on a plain ground. Typically, many of these rugs have a rectangular
the case. The most highly prized fibre for the pile, that part of the carpet one format while a significant number have a distinctive arch “cut-out” on one
actually had physical contact with and sat or walked on, was not silk but goat long side. A few are circular or polygonal in format. The purpose of these
hair, pashmina, the undercoat of the Himalayan mountain goat (Capra hircus shaped carpets is not clear but a function as tent furnishings has been
laniger). The term pashmina derives from pashm, the generic Persian word suggested.[13]
for all types of wool. It is also known as cashmere wool, as it was associated
with Kashmir, famous for its shawls made from this material. But Kashmir During the course of Shah Jahan’s reign, various types of lattice
was not the source of the wool, it was merely the transfer point for the fibre constructions were introduced as an organizing principle for flowers
collected from the mountainous areas surrounding the city. The trade in this and also blossoms. Lattice designs could vary considerably. One carpet,
highly prized wool was controlled by the maharajah of Kashmir.[9] represented by fragments in London and Dusseldorf, has flowers
occupying ovoid compartments formed by serrated vines that meander
Carpets made with pashmina pile are among the finest carpets ever woven. back and forth.[14] Some lattice designs, as in a fragment in the Keir
The highest knot count exceeds 2,000 knots per inch, which goes beyond Collection, may have been inspired by tile patterns.[15] Other lattices
what the eye can “read.”[10] The majority of examples fall between 400 were taken from European ornamental models based on classical revival
and 1,000 knots per inch; the carpet proposed here has an average of 672 themes of abundant vegetation (especially acanthus) and strapwork. Such
th-
knots per inch. 17 century examples have silk foundations whose relative designs became popular in India in architectural decoration, illuminations
fineness, together with the fineness of the knots themselves, enable the for manuscripts, and decorative arts in general.
weaver to achieve beautiful curved lines as well as highly naturalistic details.
Some later pashmina rugs, which fall into a category with small-scale floral The orientation of the flowers in some examples was directional, that
patterns (often called millefleur), show some relaxation of standards, with is, oriented in one direction, but, in some instances such as the present
cotton appearing instead of silk in the foundation, resulting in a slightly carpet, the orientation was radial. The patterns are found in both
coarser weave. Some later millefleur rugs have a pile of sheeps wool, not pashmina and the more common sheeps wool carpets.
pashmina. This brings up another point, namely that it is difficult, if not
impossible, to distinguish by touch the wool pile of a fine sheeps wool rug Lattice patterns were also conceived that employed blossoms instead
versus a “relatively” coarse pashmina pile. of silhouetted flowers. A lone pashmina example survives in the large
assemblage of classical Indian and Persian carpets formed by the
The carpet proposed here has a pashmina pile and silk foundation. A classic maharajas of Amber. The group was transferred from Amber to Jaipur
th-
feature of 17 century pashmina carpets is the grouping of warp threads into after 1725 when that city was chosen as the new capital, and the
coloured stripes often visible in the end fringes, which are an extension of the collection has been linked to Jaipur since then.
warps. The coloured end fringes are missing in our carpet but they are visible
as green, white, and red stripes under very close examination of the piled The field pattern of the Jaipur pashmina carpet, although damaged, can
area, thus confirming that the proposed carpet does indeed belong to this still be easily made out to consist of thick green vines that scroll and loop
prestigious group. The coloured stripes perhaps aided the weavers in terms and turn back on themselves in a scheme that repeats. Attached to the
of pattern registration or, more likely, the end fringes provided a colourful A Mughal Indian ‘Flower and Lattice’ carpet, 17th century, V&A Museum, vines are flower blossoms shown singly and in clusters. The main border
T.403-1910 © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
touch that appealed to the emperor’s personal taste.[11] is of special interest because it matches the design in the proposed
carpet, as does the main border of a splendid but very fragmentary
PAINTING WITH KNOTS
pashmina carpet in The Metropolitan Museum of Art. In all three versions,
The fineness of weave achievable with pashmina as the pile fibre, as well as
a thick vine with shaded colouring moves back and forth in the border, its
the ability of the goat hair to yield beautifully saturated colours, led the Indian
ends terminating in elaborate flower heads. Little cloud-wisps embellish The Jaipur Mughal Pashmina carpet, c. 1650 Figure 3. C-15,
weavers to become masters of colour, to a degree more often associated Campbell #60. Photo courtesy of Nobuko Kajitani
the thick vine.[16]
with painters and illuminators. The juxtaposition of closely related colours
without the separation deriving from outlines, a technique that might be
A full report on the Jaipur collection was prepared in 1929 by a staff complete enough to be “readable” and visually appealing. Ten of these
described as “shading,” was occasionally used in a Persian context but was
member of the Victoria and Albert Museum. The Campbell Report, as belong to institutional collections; one, the carpet presented here,
used to a much greater extent in India, especially in pashmina examples.
it is generally known, listed basic information and brief descriptions of resides in a private collection; and the present whereabouts of the two
Shading was used to provide a sculptural quality or three-dimensional effect,
212 carpets in the collection.[17] Some of these carpets have inventory remaining is not known. There are also numerous, at least 30, smaller
thus enhancing the naturalism as represented in imported European goods
labels attached (or are recorded in registers). The earliest entry happens fragments in varying states of condition, more or less equally divided
such as the herbals or engravings of ornamental panels. Shading is used
to be for a Persian carpet acquired in 1632. Labeled flower style carpets between institutional and private collections. Therefore, only four of
to rich effect in the proposed carpet in the sequence of greens in the leafy
were acquired especially in the 1650s and 1660s. Although no inventory the twenty-one complete or nearly complete examples counted here
lattice elements and the reds and pinks of the cockscomb (?) blossoms.
or purchase information survives for the Jaipur pashmina carpet, it was may remain in circulation.
probably acquired at about that time in Kashmir or Lahore, where there
A second technique mastered by Indian weavers may be termed “colour
were royal carpet workshops. Although that carpet remains in Jaipur, The present carpet is exemplary in many ways. It has brilliant colour and
mixing,” in which knots of two different colours, not necessarily related,
over the years, beginning well in advance of the Campbell Report in arguably one of the most beautiful designs. It was made with the most
are juxtaposed in a chequerboard fashion, yielding a third colour. This also
1929, many carpets left the Jaipur collection. A review of the Campbell luxurious and costly materials known among carpet-weaving cultures,
increases the naturalism but, even more importantly, it broadens the palette
Report offers no evidence that the present carpet was ever part of it. especially the pashmina (goat hair) used for the pile but also the silk
at the weaver’s disposal.[12] Persian carpet-weavers liked to represent water
comprising the foundation and is one of the finest carpets ever produced.
in this way, juxtaposing blue and white knots to create a shimmering effect.
Although the proposed carpet is not absolutely complete, what remains The weaver’s skillful use of colour mixing and shading is matched in
It was used widely in Indian carpets and some were even made with more
is in splendid condition and is large and visually complete enough to only a few other (fragmentary) Indian examples and evokes a serene and
commonplace materials. The red petals of the cockscomb blossoms in the
understand and appreciate what the original consisted of. 17 century appealing naturalistic effect. It is difficult to imagine a more perfect set of
th
proposed carpet show this technique very well, with an inner red zone created
pashmina carpets from India are incredibly rare. There are just eight circumstances than those found here in one of the world’s great carpets
by mixing red and white and an outer zone of pink created by mixing pink
complete pieces, including several in a small format. Seven of these – a visionary and sensitive designer, an enlightened imperial patron with
and white. Each cockscomb blossom has an exterior outline in black, but the
now reside in institutional collections; only one is in private hands. essentially unlimited resources, and craftsmen with the experience and
colours of the interior components are allowed to merge without outline.
There are thirteen fragmentary examples which are nevertheless skills to work in royal workshops at the very highest level.
214 215