Tapis au point ras, manufacture royale de Santa Barbara, Espagne, Madrid, vers 1760

Tapis au point ras, manufacture royale de Santa Barbara, Espagne, Madrid, vers 1760.  photo Aponem - Deburaux

dans la suite des productions de Pierre-Josse Perrot (1700-1750) aux Gobelins pour le roi Louis XV, fond rouge carmin chargé de guirlande de fleurs, décor d'une rosace or sur contre fond beige, dans des rinceaux et ailes de chauve-souris, bordé de cartouches bleu et lavande, dans des rinceaux qui rejoignent des entablements avec draperies et fruits, écoinçons noirs, bordure lavande de masques de lion, rinceaux, miroir, coquilles Saint-Jacques et cornes d'abondance d'ou s'échappent des fleurs, encadrement d'oves et rais de coeur, galon noir et bleu (bel etat). Estimation : 70 000 - 90 000 €

Les tapis au point ras constituent l'une des productions les plus caractéristiques et exclusives de la manufacture royale de Santa Barbara. Les très rares exemplaires connus sont conservés dans les réserves des collections du palais royal de Madrid.. Ces pièces ont ete exposees en de très rares occasions, comme en 1917 à New York, seuls quelques tapis ont été publiés.

L'emploi de la couleur carmin est caractéristique de cette production madrilène. Le style est celui en vigueur sous le règne de Fernando VI et en l'occurrence ce tapis doit être une commande de la reine Barbara de Bragance, pour l'aménagement du couvent madrilène de Las Salesas Reales. D'autres tapis au point ras, de la même famille stylistique que cette pièce ont ete tissés pour les autels de ce couvent. Les rocailles et les coquilles Saint-Jacques rappellent la décoration sculptée de ce batiment, particulièrement la partie haute de la façade de l'eglise et les ornements de l'ancien choeur des religieuses. Les motifs en forme d'ailes qui occupent les angles du tapis, ainsi que les fleurs sont très semblables aux bordures de la Tenture de Dom Quichotte, tissée par la manufacture de Santa Barbara, d'après des cartons de Procaccini.

L'influence de l'art de cour à la francaise se ressent fortement dans le dessin de ce tapis qui est manifestement dans la suite des cartons de Pierre- Josse Perrot vers 1740-1745 pour des tapis tissés à la Savonnerie et livrés au roi Louis XV. Conservé au cabinet des Estampes de la Bibliothèque Nationale, liasse Robert de Cotte, quant à l'organisation générale du dessin, le choix des coloris et des détails ornementaux. voir Sarah B. Sherill, Tapis d'Occident : "Sous Louis XV, un artiste domine largement la création des tapis au point noué : Pierre-Josse Perrot (dates inconnues). Protegé par le roi, il réalise des cartons pour les Gobelins et la Savonnerie entre 1715 et 1750... pour des tapis destinés aux residences de Louis XV puis de Louis XVI. Parmi les motifs de pr"dilection de Perrot... comptent les coquillages, les "ailes de chauve-souris" en éventail .. pp. 80 et 81 le médaillon central est à comparer à l'illustration 85, p. 74 illustration 75 pour les ailes de chauve-souris, pp. 76 a 78 illustrations 77, 78, 79 et 81 pour les guirlandes de fleurs. P. 75 illustration 76 pour les cornes d'abondances fleuries, pp. 77 et 78 pour les coquilles Saint-Jacques et p. 79 illustration 82 pour l'encadrement d'oves et rais de coeur.

Ce tapis a vraissemblablement été tissé pour les appartements destinés a l'éventuel veuvage de la reine Dona Barbara de Bragance et peut être comparé au tapis tres proche, tiss" pour la chambre du roi au palais du Prado.

Dona Barbara de Bragance, fille de dom Joao V de Bragance roi du Portugal (1689-1750) et de dona Maria Ana von Habsbourg, reine du Portugal (1683-1754), petite fille de l'empereur Leopold (1640-1705), est née à Lisbonne le 4 décembre 1711 et morte à Madrid le 27 août 1758, sans postérité, inhumée au couvent das Salesas Reales, qu'elle avait fondé en 1750. Elle épouse le 10 janvier 1729 Ferdinand VI de Bourbon, roi d'Espagne (1713-1746-1759), fils de Philippe V de Bourbon, duc d'Anjou (1683-1746), roi d'Espagne, de Naples et de Siciles en 1700 (petit-fils de Louis XIV) et de Marie Louis Gabrielle de Savoie. Veuf en 1714, Philippe V se remarie avec Isabelle Farnese dont il aura en 1716 Charles III, roi d'Espagne à la mort de son demi frère Ferdinand VI en 1759. Le roi Ferdinand VI était par deux fois cousin germain du roi Louis XV, ayant les mêmes grands-parents étant Louis de Bourbon Dauphin de France (1661-1711) qui a epousé en 1680 Marie-Anne de Bavière (1660-1690) et le roi Victor-Amédée de Savoie (1666-1732) qui a épousé en 1684 Anne d'Orleans.

Il est donc normal que l'art de cour de Versailles ait été particulièrement apprécié à Madrid. Fabienne Joubert, Amaury Lefebure & Pascal-Francois Bertrand, Histoire de la Tapisserie, pp. 243 et ss ; "L'art de la tapisserie ne fut guère pratiqué en Espagne avant l'avènement de Philippe V qui, conseillé par son premier ministre le cardinal Alberoni, avait crée, nous l'avons vu, sa propre fabrique. Aprés avoir vainement tenté d'attirer des liciers francais, il recruta des artisans flamands. C'est ainsi qu'en 1720, Jacob van der Goten, accompagné de ses fils et de quelques ouvriers, arrivait d'Anvers à Madrid pour diriger l'établissement nouvellement fondé et appelé a la renommée. Des métiers de haute lice conduits par le francais Antoine Lenger furent placés en 1731 à côté de ceux de basse lice employés par l'Anversois. Ce maître mit tout d'abord en fabrication des modèles ... selectionnés dans les collections royales ... avant de demander des cartons originaux au francais Michel-Ange Houasse et a l'italien Procaccini". p. 247 : "En Espagne, l'influence francaise qui dominait dans l'art de cour détermina le choix des peintres qui fournissent les cartons : Michel- Ange Houass (vers 1680-1730) tout d'abord, Louis- Michel van Loo (1707-1771) ensuite. Les italiens Andrea Procaccini (1671-1734) et Corrado Giaquinto (1703-1765) travaillèrent de même pour la manufacture espagnole ; lors de leurs séjour a la cour..."

Tapestries and Carpet from the Palace of the Pardo woven at the Royal Manufactory of Madrid loaned by his Majesty the King of Spain for Exhibition by the Hispanic Society of America, New York, 1917. Juan Jose Junquera y Mato ; La Decoracion y el Mobiliario de los Palacios de Carlos IV, Madrid, 1979, lams. 26, 27 y 28 3, 45 x 2, 30 m

Aponem - Deburaux - Enchères MSA. Mercredi 08 décembre à 11h00. Drouot Richelieu - Salle 10 - 9 rue Drouot - 75009 Paris. Tél. : 01 42 24 80 76. EMail : deburaux@aponem.com

Portrait de la reine Barbara de Bragance (1711-1758). Wikimedia Commons,

Tapisserie d'Aubusson d'après Pillement. Époque Louis XV.

Tapisserie d'Aubusson d'après Pillement. Époque Louis XV.

en laine et soie à sujet de volatiles dans un paysage chinois, bordure à l'imitation d'un cadre. (Usures et manques aux soies, rentrayage central). Haut. : 2,93 cm - Larg. : 2,35 cm - Estimation : 6 000 / 8 000 €

Vente du Vendredi 16 octobre 2009. Dessins et Tableaux Anciens, Ceramiques, Mobilier, Objets d'Art. Peintures & Arts Graphiques. Libert - Paris. Drouot Richelieu - Salle 10 - 9, rue Drouot - 75009 Paris - Pour tout renseignement, veuillez contacter la maison de ventes au 01 48 24 51 20

Stunning Safavid Rug from Late 16th Century Sold for $4.34 Million

A Safavid silk, wool and metal thread prayer rug is displayed at Sotheby's auction rooms in London. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

LONDON.- A stunning Safavid rug from late 16th or early 17th century Persia sold for £2,729,250 ($4.34M US) this afternoon at Sotheby’s in London . The rug was purchased by an anonymous buyer after a prolonged contest in which at least five bidders vied for the piece. The price of the silk and metal-thread prayer rug was over 20 times the pre-sale estimate of £80,000 - £120,000.

The inscriptions on this fabulous prayer rug of remarkable quality and condition suggest that it may have been a diplomatic gift from the Safavid Persian court to the Ottoman Turks, indeed possibly even on the occasion of the Peace Treaty between the two empires in 1590, from the court of Shah ‘Abbas to the Ottoman Sultan Murad III (r.1574-95).

Globally recognized rug expert Jan David Winitz of Claremont Rug Company said, “The sale of the Safavid for $4.34MM (US$) is indicative of the astonishing interest in the most rare, one-in-the-world Near Eastern rugs that art connoisseurs and collectors are avidly seeking out. Its price demonstrates that the previously established value levels of these nearly impossible to find rugs have significant room for growth. (The Safavid had a pre-auction estimate of £80,000 - £120,000. ($130-190,000 (US$).

The rug was part of Sotheby’s sale of Arts of the Islamic World that totalled £7.9 million, well in excess of pre-sale expectations. Discussing the rug Edward Gibbs, Head of the Middle East & India Department at Sotheby’s said “The price of £2.7 million – many multiples of the top estimate – is a testament to the quality and rarity of this stunning piece which was the highlight of our Arts of the Islamic World sale today in London.”

A Safavid silk, wool and metal-thread prayer rug, late 16th or early 17th century, Isphahan, Central Persia, sold for £2,729,250. Photo courtesy Sotheby"s

approximately 163 by 110cm., 5ft. 4in. by 3ft. 7in. With Persian verses in nast'aliq reading:

"As long as there is trace of this earth and sky,
Let the Ottoman house be the supreme lords

On the throne of justice and good fortune
May it be perpetually joyful and successful

Let the name of Sultan Murad
Be the beautifying ornament of sermons and coinage

In Iran, as well as in Anatolia and the Arab lands
Let your might be that of a hero

May your new Spring never ripen to Autumn,
Be young as long as the World is in existence

Let the dust of your carpet, like Mirza Makhdum,
Be the most noble caller to prayer"

The poem commences in the cartouche in the bottom right hand corner and reads anti-clockwise: the name of Sultan Murad appears in dark red brown in the upper left hand corner cartouche.

TECHNICAL ANALYSIS: This rug has been radiocarbon dated and a copy of the report from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich is available on request and accompanies this lot. The calibrated C14 age of the rug given as 1450 AD to 1640 AD with 95.4% probability, (i.e. the probability of an age outside these dates is no more than 2.3% before or after). Within the probable age range of 1450 AD to 1640 AD, the age range with greatest probability given is 1550 AD to 1630 AD (39.6%).

Technical Analysis: Warp: Silk, bright blue, 2(?) S-plied, medium depression
Weft: Silk, madder, 2 shoots
Knotting: Silk, asymmetric, ivory, yellow, peach, olive green, apple green, emerald green, spinach green, light blue green, indigo, midnight blue, dark walnut (partially oxidised), deep pink, crimson, deep madder, reddish brown (the words 'Sultan Mourad' only) (15)
Wool, (central cartouche in mihrab), camel coloured (natural camel wool?), Z-spun
Coloured brocading: Silk, ivory, bright blue, teal blue, rose pink, deep orange madder, light brownish madder (6)
Metal thread brocading: Silk, loosely Z-spun, wrapped silver metal thread, S-plied: yellow silk core for ground of mihrab and inscription cartouches; ivory silk core for small border medallions, highlights in field and decoration in palmettes
Sidecords: Partially extant, silk, crimson, one cord
Density: 8 V/9 H per cm.

PROVENANCE: Collection of Rudolf Martin (1864-1925)
thence by family descent

NOTE: Rudolf Martin was a renowned Anthropology professor, who taught at the University of Zurich and the University of Munich, and wrote the handbook, Lehrbuch der Anthropologie in Systematischer Darstellung, Mit besonderer Berücksichtigung der anthropologischen Methoden fur Studierende, Ärzte und Forschungsreisende, first published in 1914 and re-printed in 1928 and 1956.

The inscriptions on this rug suggest that it may have been a diplomatic gift from the Safavid Persian court to that of the Ottoman Turks. Perhaps it was even given on the occasion of the Peace Treaty signed between the two empires in 1590. Were this the case, 'Sultan Murad' referred to in the inscriptions would be the Ottoman Sultan Murad III (r. 1574-1595) and the rug would have been sent by the court of Shah Abbas I (r. 1587-1629.). The reference to Mirza Makhdum, would therefore probably refer to Mirza Makhdum Sharifi (1544/5-1587) who was a preacher in Qazvin. He fled to the Ottoman Empire from the hostility of a Qizilbash faction in c.1576 and was subsequently appointed the chief qadi of Mecca.

This unusual prayer rug appears to be an addition to the corpus of Safavid Persian niche rugs previously regarded as part of the 'Salting' or 'Topkapi' group of rugs. Named for a carpet bequeathed to the Victoria and Albert Museum by George Salting upon his death in 1909, the attribution and dating of this group of rugs fell into question in the mid-20^th century with some scholars suggesting they were copies of Safavid work manufactured in late 19^th century Turkey. Revered by early scholars such as A. U. Pope, F.R. Martin, F. Sarre, E. Kühnel, W. von Bode and G. Migeon they were considered superb examples of Safavid weaving. When these rugs appeared on the market they were purchased by renowned collectors such as Charles Yerkes, Dikran Kelekian, Albert Goupil, Stefano Bardini and E. Paravicini; with several of them now in institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, the Carpet Museum in Tehran, and the Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. In 1999 Michael Franses studied and documented the 89 then known niche rugs of Persian design that were considered part of the 'Salting' or 'Topkapi' group, see Eiland, M.L., Jr. and Robert Pinner, eds., Oriental Carpet and Textile Studies, vol. V, part 2: The Salting Carpets, ICOC, 1999, pp. 42-67. These rugs all feature a Persian design and, as in the example here, the majority (70) includes calligraphic inscriptions, with 41 examples having metal thread brocading, ibid, p. 53. Thirty-five of these prayer rugs remain in the collection of the Topkapi Palace Museum in Istanbul, with at least 20 now in Western museums and collections believed to have once also been in the Topkapi collection, ibid, p. 42. These rugs were most probably sold by the Topkapi palace during the throws of the Russo-Turkish war of 1877-78, see Mills, John, ibid, p. 10. The authors further present evidence that the 'Salting' or 'Topkapi' rugs are the product of Safavid Persia with the confirming support of C-14 dating results. Scholarship has since come around to accepting that these rugs were produced during the Safavid period with more recent discussions of the group being Jon Thompson, Milestones in the History of Carpets, Milan, 2006, pp. 220-223; "Auction Price Guide," Hali, issue 144, p. 115 and Sheila R. Canby, Shah 'Abbas; the Remaking of Iran, London, 2009, pp. 80-81.

The present rug shares it unusual asymmetric design with one of these rugs, that known as the "Dancing Dervishes Persian Niche Rug" now in the Mevlana Museum, Konya, see Eiland and Pinner, op.cit., no. 55, p. 101. Like the rug offered here, the "Dancing Dervishes rug" is believed to be woven with silk and metal threads, however, this information came from F.R. Martin's The History of Oriental Carpets before 1800, Vienna, 1908 and the rug was not examined by the authors in 1999. Martin ascribed the Dancing Dervishes rug to Yezd, circa 1590, see Martin, ibid, fig. 147. Both of these rugs feature poetic inscriptions in their borders, with the Dancing Dervishes rug also bearing a Ka'aba symbol within the arch. According to the Mevlana Museum directory of 1930, this rug "was presented to the Tomb of Mevlana by an Ottoman sultan on his return from a journey to Iran," Eiland and Pinner, op.cit.,, p. 101. In addition to sharing an asymmetric design of very elegant swirling vines, the present and Dancing Dervishes rugs also employ an unusually shallow arch that is confined to the top quarter of the field. Many of the Safavid niche rugs have a more prominent arch, which occupies almost half of the design.

Here, the metallic ground offers a superb neutral foil to the vividly colored and exquisitely drawn palmettes, vines and curling leaves of the design. This is a characteristic of the Safavid 'Polonaise' silk and metal thread rugs, although here the varied and fresh coloring is much more like that found on the silk foundation, wool pile carpets woven at Isphahan in the 16^th and 17^th centuries, for one example: the Rothschild/Cittone carpet, lot 221, Sotheby's New York, September 20, 2001.

The border of this rug where calligraphic cartouches encircle the entire rug is found more often in larger Safavid carpets such as those illustrated as plates 1156 through 1162 in A.U. Pope, A Survey of Persian Art, Oxford, 1936-9, than in the prayer rugs, with only two similar examples, the d'Allemagne niche rug and one of the Topkapi Saray niche rugs, no. 33, see Eiland and Pinner, op.cit., nos. 76 and 77, pp. 108-109.

Safavid prayer rugs such as this rarely appear on the market, with the most recent example being the 'Perez "Topkapi" wool and metal thread prayer rug,' sold Christie's London, 13 October 2005, lot 50 subsequently published in Thompson, op.cit., pl. 22 and most recently included in the British Museum exhibition, "Shah 'Abbas; the Remaking of Iran," 19 February to 14 June 2009, and accompanying catalogue, see Sheila R. Canby, op.cit., pl. 45, pp. 80-81.

Mark Rothko (1903-1970) DARK GREEN AND VIOLET

Mark Rothko (1903-1970) DARK GREEN AND VIOLET

Laine teintée, tapis d'une édition à 2 exemplaires. 197 x 197 cm. Estimation : 6 000 / 8 000 €

Vente du Mercredi 17 juin 2009. Art Contemporain. Piasa - Paris

The Pearl Carpet of Baroda, Gujarat, India, circa 1865

The Pearl Carpet of Baroda, Gujarat, India, circa 1865

The foundation of silk and fine deer hide is densely embroidered overall with a design worked in strings of natural 'Basra' pearls, measuring approximately 1-3mm, and English coloured glass beads. There are on average 78 pearls and beads per vertical dm. (10cm.), and 68 per horizontal dm., equalling a density of c.4,990 pearls and beads per dm², The total area of the carpet is c.45,670cm.² Making allowance for the three large diamond filled rosettes (c.440cm²), the 32 smaller rosettes (c.400cm²), and the smaller gems the total area embroidered with pearls and beads is about 44,500cm² Therefore, over 2.2 million pearls and beads have been used to decorate the field. In our estimation, the number of pearls employed in the design is therefore at least 1.2-1.5 million. The rosettes are circled by small natural 'Basra' pearls of slightly larger size, measuring approximately 3-4 mm; the total estimated weight of the pearls is 30,000 carats. The designs worked in the rosettes are set with approximately 2,500 table cut and occasional rose cut diamonds, approximately 350-400 carats in total, all set in silver topped gold or possibly blackened gold; the motifs are further enhanced with foil backed rubies, emeralds and sapphires set in gold. approximately 173 by 264cm., 5ft. 8in. by 8ft. 8in. Estimate Upon Request

PROVENANCE: The Maharaja of Baroda, Gaekwar Khande Rao

by descent to

The Maharani of Baroda, Sita Devi

Seethadevi Holding until 1988

EXHIBITED: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, India!, September 14, 1985 to January 5, 1986

Indian Art Exhibition, Delhi, 1902-1903

LITERATURE AND REFERENCES: Kunz, George Frederick and Charles Hugh Stevenson, The Book of the Pearl, New York: The Century Co., 1908, pp. 460-461

Welch, Stuart Cary, India, Art and Culture 1300-1900, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1985, fig. 289, p. 437

NOTE

The Pearl Carpet of Baroda

A Royal Commission: The Making of a Legend

The Pearl Carpet of Baroda is an extraordinary work of art that is a true testament to the wealth, sophistication, and grandeur of the legendary courts of the maharajas as well as an extant example of the fabled riches of India. Embroidered with as many as one and a half million of the fabled 'Basra' pearls, which were harvested in the southern Gulf region and along the coasts of Qatar and Bahrain, and embellished with diamonds, sapphires, emeralds and rubies, this piece has been known throughout the past 150 years as the Pearl Carpet of Baroda. Named after its patron, the lot offered here was commissioned circa 1865 by Gaekwar Khande Rao, the Maharaja of Baroda (r.1856 – 1870); reputedly originally intended as a gift for the tomb of Mohammed at Medina, it is one of the most iconic masterpieces of Indian craftsmanship known today. Instantly legendary, this work of art is mentioned by foreign travellers as early as 1880. The exquisite execution, the remarkable state of preservation, the unquestionable rarity, and the highly unusual combination of form and material make this piece undeniably one of the most remarkable objects ever created.

Baroda: A Land of Dynasties

The family ruling over Baroda, a state of approximately 8300 square miles about 250 miles north of Mumbai, has a long a history going back some 2000 years in time. The city of Baroda itself was first mentioned in historical accounts in the early ninth century. Over the centuries the region was controlled by different powers, including the Gupta Empire, the Chalukya Dynasty, and the Solanki Rajputs. Hindu kings ruled here until the thirteenth century, when the Solanki lords were defeated by the Delhi sultans who were themselves later overthrown by forces of the Mughal Empire in the sixteenth century. During the Mughal era (1526-1857), ongoing warfare characterized the region as local Marathas, an Indo-Aryan caste of Hindu warriors, resisted the new power and fought for their territories. By the eighteenth century the Marathas had secured control over the region, even resisting British forces from the west. Eventually, the ever-growing British presence in India became overwhelming, and after the First, Second, and Third Anglo-Maratha Wars the Maratha Empire was turned into a principality of the British Raj in 1818. From their defeat until 1948 the Gaekwars remained rulers of Baroda, although the de facto power was in British hands. After the formation of present-day India, Baroda became part of Gujarat.¹
During the British era, industries flourished in Baroda and the state maintained its role as a cultural centre. It was during this period that Khande Rao ascended to the throne as the Maharaja Gaekwar of Baroda in 1865 and established a court that was renowned throughout the subcontinent for its sophistication and richness. The new maharaja was known for his love of display and magnificence, and generous patronage of the arts and architecture. He had a special fondness for jewels and acquired some of the most magnificent gemstones known to the world, such as 128-carat "Star of the South" diamond.²

Opulence and Tradition: Art at the Maratha Court

During the second half of the nineteenth century, art-loving Indian lords such as Khande Rao had access to some of the most talented artists who had previously worked for the Mughal court. Due to the strong political and cultural ties between the subcontinent's Muslim empire and Persia, the oeuvre of Mughal artists had been influenced by Safavid art. As a result, a distinct Mughal style emerged that was an amalgamation of Persian and indigenous Indian traditions. After the decline of the Mughal Empire, these royal craftsmen were left without a dependable income as there was no central power with well-established courts able to employ such a highly-trained and expensive workforce. Jewellers and gem cutters were among those displaced court-artists forced to seek new patrons at the smaller, but still very lavish, households of local rulers. As these artists came from a distinct artistic tradition, their work retained strong characteristics of the old regime and the art commissioned by their new patrons was strongly influenced by traditional Mughal aesthetics. This was true for the products of both jewellers and weavers who created works that exhibited characteristics of Persian art. Textile art, particularly embroidery and brocade weaving, had a long- standing tradition in Baroda and many former imperial craftsmen engaged in that trade found a new home at the Maratha court. Gem-cutters and jewellers were particularly welcome at court not only because Baroda was one of the richest of all states in the subcontinent, but also because of the old Indian court tradition of giving expensive gifts.³ Western travellers throughout the centuries noted that many Indian rulers presented lavish gifts to their visitors, courtiers, religious institutions, and even the poor. The tradition of gift-giving and the love for precious gems, coupled with a solid financial background, enabled maharajas and local lords to offer the most lavish gifts, often trying to outshine each other. During his journey to India, the British traveller John Hawkins noted that during a court visit pearls, coral, and amber were given to courtiers and holy men.⁴ He also witnessed the ritual of ceremonial giving when observing the emperor handing out gold and silver to the poor, while the Frenchman François Bernier recalled the precious royal gifts amassed at the mosques of the empire.⁵ In such a generous culture the most unusual and lavish objects were executed by court craftsmen in order to express the sophistication of the patron and to impress and dazzle not only the receiver of the gift but also those witnessing the presentation. With its overwhelming beauty and astonishing value, the Pearl Carpet of Baroda was a perfect object for such purpose.

Bejewelled Textiles: An Ancient Tradition

Bejewelled textiles embellished with metallic thread and precious and semi-precious gems were not unknown in the eastern world. Weavings decorated in such manner were kept in very high regard not only in India but also in Safavid Persia and Ottoman Turkey. The prestige of these textiles is illustrated in a portrait of Mehmet II, one of the most powerful rulers of the early modern ages, where Gentile Bellini (1429-1507) depicted the Sultan in an architectural niche partially covered with a bejewelled weaving whose embroidery echoes the Renaissance bas-relief carving of the arch framing the sitter.⁶ The earliest known bejewelled carpets, adorned with pearls, jewels, and gold, date from the Sassanian period (226-636) in Persia.⁷ According to Pope, the rugs in Khusraw II's (590-628) throne room in the palace at Ctesiphon were "said to have been made of gold-woven fabrics with pearls embroidered on them." ⁸ The largest carpet, which represented a garden in full bloom, in Kushraw II's palace was even more elaborately decorated with gemstones and was called the Spring of Khusraw or Winter Carpet.⁹ Later, fables from The Thousand and One Nights also mention carpets decorated with pearls, rubies, and turquoise, not unlike the weaving in the portrait by Bellini, from the times of the Abassid Caliphate (750-1258).¹⁰ The Pearl Carpet of Baroda is an exceptional 19^th century revival of this ancient form. Existing examples of nineteenth-century Indian textile art show the continuity of the tradition of embellishing fabrics with three-dimensional adornments. For lengths of dress material from the 1850s decorated with metallic thread and pieces of sparkling beetle wing, an inexpensive alternative to gemstones, see Rosemary Crill, Indian Embroidery, London, 1999, figs. 62 and 64, pp. 70-73.

A Legendary Masterpiece: Eyewitness Accounts

From the earliest mentions of The Pearl Carpet of Baroda, it has impressed writers as an extraordinary work of art. Most literature states that this remarkable work was commissioned by the then Maharaja of Baroda, Khande Rao, in 1865 with the intention that it be given to adorn the tomb of Mohammed at Medina. In 1880, George M. Birdwood wrote:
"But the most wonderful piece of embroidery ever known was the chaddar or veil made by order of Kunde Rao, the late Gaekwar of Baroda, for the tomb of Mahommed [sic] at Medina. It was composed entirely of inwrought pearls and precious stones, disposed in an arabesque pattern, and is said to have cost a crore (10 million) rupees. Although the richest stones were worked into it, the effect was most harmonious. When spread out in the sun it seemed suffused with a general iridescent pearly bloom, as grateful to the eyes as were the exquisite forms of its arabesques." ¹¹
This carpet and a round one of similar work were exhibited at the Delhi Exhibition of Indian Art, 1902-3. In his book entitled Indian Art at Delhi, Sir George Watt notes:
"Perhaps if any one article could be singled out as more freely discussed at the Exhibition than any other, it would be the Pearl carpet of Baroda. The circular portion shown in the Plate [see page x of this catalogue] was probably originally intended as the veil or canopy, and the rectangular carpet shown on the walls of the Loan Collection Gallery close by is one of the four such pieces that are said to have formed the carpet. --- The field is in seed pearls, the arabesque design in blue and red being worked out in English glass beads with medallions and rosettes of diamonds, rubies, emeralds, freely dispersed. To place on the four corners of the carpet were constructed four large weights in solid gold thickly set with diamonds. One of these weights will be seen hard by the carpet. Needless to add, this superb gift never went to Mecca." ¹²
From this we learn that the 'carpet' offered here is one of a suite that originally consisted of four rectangular pieces, a circular piece and four finials. All of these together may have formed a structure that would be carried in the procession between Mecca and Medina with it then being given to the treasury of the mosque.¹³ As Bernier wrote, Khande Rao would also be following a Mughal tradition in this generous donation, possibly with the desire to relate his own sophistication and wealth to those of the Mughal emperors.
Another visitor to the palace, the Reverend Edward St. Clair Weeden, whose account A Year with the Gaekwar of Baroda, was published in 1909, describes being shown "four great squares, each as large as a fair-sized carpet,...[which] hung on the walls, apparently of tapestry. Closer inspection showed that they consisted entirely of jewels---pearls, emeralds, rubies, diamonds and so on..." ¹⁴ By this time the 'carpet' was not on the floor, but hung in the palace of the Maharaja. Indeed, this pearl covered, jewel inlaid 'carpet' would not seem to be the most appropriate floor covering. However, by 1914, when E. L. Tottenham visited the Palace, he noted that only one of the rectangular carpets was still remaining :
"Upon the wall hung the oblong [rectangular]-shaped and famous pearl carpet ... It was made in duplicate, the first to be dispatched to Mecca to go over the Tomb of Mohammed. This one now only remained. Its value at the time of making was 68,500 rupees, but this day it was worth 2 lakhs. The piece consisted of three big diamond-set flowers along the middle portion, and thirty-three {sic.} smaller flowers along the border; in the floral design are 1,269 rubies and 596 emeralds. The remaining portion of the carpet, in size 6 feet by 10 feet, is made of seed pearls, except the blue, green and red lines in the floral design, which are of coloured glass beads." ¹⁵

While Kande Rao was himself a Hindu, several writers suggest that he ordered the suite to be given to a mosque in a show of his respect and admiration for Islam.¹⁶ Weeden also notes that the Maharajah died before the gift could be sent to Medina and his successors did not feel compelled to carry out his wishes. Maharaja Gaekwar Khande Rao died in 1870 implying the carpet had been completed by then. He died of natural causes, having survived an attempt made on his life by his brother Mulhar Rao who had tried to kill him with a concoction of crushed diamonds.¹⁷ It has also been suggested that it may have been his brother who was responsible for commissioning the pearl carpet for a local temple and which he then decided to keep.¹⁸ This is the only mention of the carpet having been ordered by anyone other than Khande Rao. Both maharajas were known for their love of luxury but Khande Rao was particularly passionate about jewels, as evidenced by his 1867 purchase of the "Star of the South," one of the largest diamonds in the world. The diamond, the surviving rectangular carpet and the circular canopy remained in the Gaekwar family collection, and were amongst the pieces in her personal collection which Maharani Sita Devi , wife of the then maharajah, Gaekwar Pratapsingh Rao, brought with her when she moved to Monaco in 1946.

The Pearl Carpet of Baroda: A Revival of Mughal Splendour

The design of the carpet appears to hearken back to Mughal tradition with the vinery forming three arches, each above a large diamond-filled roundel and topped with an elegant palmette. An example of an antecedent design can be found in a pair of Mughal saphs with three arches and palmette finials in the Keir collection.¹⁹ The elaborate swirling vinery and dense floral elements more closely resemble the 18th century millefleurs designs of the very finely woven pashmina shawls and rugs of Northern India. For examples of such delicate weavings see Daniel Walker, Flowers Underfoot: Indian Carpets of the Mughal Era, New York, 1998, figs. 127 and 128, pp. 130-131.
This legendary carpet would be mentioned whenever a Maharaja of Baroda was the subject of an article, for example that of Michael White, writing in the New York Times, May 13, 1906, "How Maharaja Gaekwar Became Ruler of Baroda," he states that:
"Maharaja Gaekwar possesses the most costly piece of jewelry in the world. In dazzling magnificence, it never has been, or is ever likely to be, excelled. This treasure is in the form of a shawl or cloak of woven pearls, edged with a deep border of arabesque designs of diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires."
The Pearl Carpet of Baroda reflects the confluence of many Indian decorative traditions in addition to being one of the most luxuriant works of art ever created. But it's allure lies not only in the richness of the materials from which it was made: as Stuart Cary Welch writes:
"However unbridled the opulence of its million pearls of excellent quality, of its fine diamonds, rubies, and emeralds beyond count, the design is suitably restrained and dignified, a classic arabesque descended from the Mughal tradition and probably inspired by the legendary jewelled covering ordered by Shah Jahan to adorn the cenotaph of Mumtaz-Mahal in the Taj Mahal. If one approaches with an eye only for worldly delight, or even amusement, one soon backs off, sensing the degree of underlying seriousness and religious devotion." ²⁰
It seems very likely that this carpet was commissioned in imitation of the Mughal bejewelled coverlet woven for the tomb of Mumtaz-Mahal at the Taj Mahal. A ruler as grand and powerful as Shah Jahan would most certainly have been an inspiration for a Maharaja such as Khande Rao. In the Pearl Carpet of Baroda a work of art was created that has captured the imagination of viewers for over a century to such an extent that its appeal transcends the use of pearls and gems and it remains a singular masterpiece and true reflection of the splendour of the Maharajas.

'Basra Pearls': A Princely Preference

Besides being a magnificent manifestation of the taste and power of the maharajas, the Pearl Carpet of Baroda is also a reminder of the flourishing pearl-trade between the Indian subcontinent and the Arabian Gulf . For over two millennia, pearl fishing was a steady source of income for the people living in the area surrounding the delta of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The first-century geographer Isidorus Characenus noted in his work entitled Journey Around Parthia that the majority of the inhabitants of the city of Charax Spasinou, capital of the Kingdom of Characene, then part of the Parthian Empire, supported themselves by diving for pearls.²¹ Throughout the following centuries, locals from the Gulf region traded extensively with merchants from all around Asia and Europe, with their most reliable buyers coming from India. By the seventeenth century, most of the pearls harvested in the southern Gulf region and along the Arabian coast eventually ended up in the treasuries of the Indian elite who, as great lovers of gems and pearls, used them to adorn their lavish jewellery, decorative art objects, and textiles. The pearl trade dominated the Gulf's economy and reached its golden age in the mid-nineteenth century. Some of the highest quality pearls were discovered at this time and were then sold in Basra, centre of the trade, mostly to Indian merchants.²² Due to the excellence and abundance of the pieces exported from Basra, pearls from the Gulf region were known as 'Basra pearls' throughout the world. Between the 1850s and the early twentieth century, the vast majority of the pearls utilized by Indian jewellers were 'Basra pearls.' The Pearl Carpet of Baroda is the apotheosis of the Indian love of these pearls, its scintillating surface composed of countless 'Basra pearls.' To execute such a unique and precious object Khande Rao chose the best raw materials to match the unparalleled craftsmanship of artists he commissioned to execute this extraordinary work of art. Completely covering such a large surface with the most valued type of pearls, a meticulous work that took years to complete, clearly indicates that the Maharaja of Baroda only accepted the very best in design, craftsmanship and material.

REFERENCES

¹ For more information, see Francis Watson, A Concise History of India, London, 1987.
² Tottenham, E. L., Highness of Hindustan, London, 1914, p. 154.
³ Maharaja of Baroda, The Palaces of India, New York, 1981, p. 151.
⁴ Bhuj Bushan, Jamila, Indian Jewelry, Ornaments and Decorative Designs, Bombay, 1964, p. 74.
⁵ ibid., pp. 74-75.
⁶ Carboni, Stefano, ed., Venice and the Islamic World, New York, 2006, p. 68.
⁷ Pope, Arthur Upham, A Survey of Persian Art, Vol. II, Tehran, 1938, p. 2273.
⁸ ibid., p. 2274.
⁹ ibid., pp. 2274-2275.
¹⁰ ibid., p. 2276.
¹¹ Birdwood, George M., The Industrial Arts of India, London, 1880, p. 284.
¹² Watt, George, Indian Art at Delhi, 1903, Calcutta, 1903, p. 444, pl. 59. For an illustration of the round carpet see the same.
¹³ Maeder, Edward and Dale Carolyn Gluckman, The Pearl Carpet of Baroda, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, 1985, p. 4 and footnote 14.
¹⁴ St. Clair Weeden, Edward, A Year with the Gaekwar of Baroda, Boston, 1909, pp. 310-312.
¹⁵ Tottenham, pp. 154-155.
¹⁶ ibid., p. 154; St. Clair Weeden, p. 312.
¹⁷ Welch, Stuart Cary, India: Art and Culture 1300-1900, New York, 1986, p. 438.
¹⁸ Moore, Lucy, Maharanis, New York, 2004, p. 31 who in turn sites Phillip Sargeant, The Ruler of Baroda, London, 1928

¹⁹ Spuhler, Friedrich, Islamic Carpets and Textiles in the Keir Collection, London, 1978, no. 64, 65, p. 128.

²⁰ Welch, p. 438

²¹ Mattern, Susan P., Rome and the Enemy: Imperial Strategy in the Principate, Berkeley, 2002, p. 34.

²² Bhuj Bushan, Jamila, Indian Jewelry, Ornaments and Decorative Designs, Bombay, 1955, p. 137.

Sotheby's. The Pearl Carpet of Baroda. 19 Mar 09. Doha www.sothebys.com photo courtesy Sotheby's

The "Jeziorak" 'vase' carpet, possibly Kirman, Southeast Persia, 17th century

The "Jeziorak" 'vase' carpet, possibly Kirman, Southeast Persia, 17th century

approximately 270 by 175cm. Estiimate 600,000—800,000 USD

TECHNICAL ANALYSIS: Warp: cotton, ivory, Z4S
Weft: 1^st and 3^rd shoots wool, brown, grey, blue, light red,
green, Z2S, 2^nd shoot: silk, ivory, 2Z
Pile: wool, 2Z, rarely 3Z, asymmetrical knot, open to the left
Density: 6 horizontal, 6 vertical per linear cm.
Sides: not complete
Ends: not complete
Colours: ivory, tan, light brown, pink, deep red, orange, yellow, orange-yellow, light olive, light green, mid-green, mid-blue-green, light turquoise, sky blue, blue, mid-blue

PROVENANCE : Poland, church of Jeziorak, by repute
Dr Albert Figdor, Vienna, acquired before 1908
Dr. Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza
Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection

EXHIBITED: Sammlung Schloss Rohoncz, Munich, Neue Pinakothek, 1930
International Exhibition of Persian Art, London, Royal Academy of Arts, 7 January – 28 February 1931
Donald King and David Sylvester, The Eastern Carpet in The Western World from the 15^th to the 17^th Century, (exh. cat.), Arts Council of Great Britain and the Hayward Gallery, London, 1983, no. 79, p. 100

LITERATURE AND REFERENCES: F. Sarre, Altorientalische Teppiche, Leipzig, 1908, pl.10
O. van Falke, Die Sammlung Dr Albert Figdor, Vienna and Berlin, 1930, vol. I, pl. L, no. 203
A. Feulner, Stiftung Sammlung Schloss Rohoncz, Teil 3. Plastik und Kunsthandwerk, Lugano-Castagnola, 1941, pl. 86, no. 648
R.L. Heinemann, Sammlung Schloss Rohoncz, Lugano-Castagnola, 1958, K 648
May H. Beattie, The Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection of Oriental Rugs, Lugano-Castagnola, 1972, pl. 1
E. Gans-Ruedin, Splendeur du tapis persan, Friborg, Switzerland, 1978, p. 131
Donald King and David Sylvester, The Eastern Carpet in The Western World from the 15^th to the 17^th Century, (exh. cat.), Arts Council of Great Britain and the Hayward Gallery, London, 1983, no. 79, p. 100
Toby Falk, ed., Treasures of Islam, Geneva: Museé Rath, London, 1985, p. 329, no. 340
Hali 65, 1992, p. 111
Jutan. Woven Flowers of the Silk Road, Osaka, National Museum of Ethnology, 1994, p. 77, fig. 56
Friedrich Spuhler, The Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection: Carpets and Textiles, London, 1998, pp. 116-119, pl. 27

NOTE: This remarkable "vase" technique carpet was reputedly found in the Jeziorak church in Poland. When first published by Friedrich Sarre in 1908, it was in the possession of Dr. Albert Figdor of Vienna who was also a previous owner of the Safavid silk and metal-thread kilim once in the collection of the Baron Thyssen-Bornemisza. Dr. Figdor (1843-1927) was one of the most important private collectors of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and amassed a highly significant and comprehensive collection of mostly decorative art objects dating from the Middle Ages to the nineteenth century. His genuine passion for collecting unique objects drove him to assemble an outstanding anthology of works that reflected his profound knowledge of the arts and his impeccable taste. Dr. Figdor started the collection in 1869 and constantly worked on enlarging it until his death in 1927. In 1891, he intended to donate part of his collection to the newly-founded Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna but no agreement was reached and the bequest was never carried out. The collection remained intact until 1930 when, three years after Dr. Figdor's death, many of the pieces were offered at auction in Vienna and Berlin. Since the lot offered here was first mentioned by Sarre in his 1908 book entitled Altorientalische Teppiche as the Figdor "vase" carpet, the piece must have become part of his collection prior to that date. It was after the doctor's death that this carpet entered the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection thanks to the patronage of Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemissza (1875-1947), head of the German-Hungarian Thyssen-Bornemisza de Kászon et Impérfalva family whose noble lineage dated back hundreds of years. During his lifetime, the Baron amassed hundreds of artworks into one of the most important collections of the twentieth century. Along with the Jeziorak carpet, Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza was responsible for some of the most iconic weavings in the world entering the family's collection, including the Béhague-Sanguszko carpet. Europe's illustrious rug collectors, such as Wilhelm von Bode and Kurt Erdmann, sold their best pieces to the Baron, who quickly obtained some of the most important Safavid weavings known and attainable at the time. Interestingly, the Jeziorak carpet, similarly to most of the other now world-famous carpets in the Thyssen-Bornemisza collection, was used in the family's private home and was not exhibited in the Villa Favorita in Lugano. This suggests that these pieces, and carpets in general, were particularly dear to the Baron. When Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza died, the large collection was divided up among his heirs. Eventually, the new head of the family, Hans-Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza (1921-2002), bought back works from his relatives and put the collection together again. Hans-Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza continued in his father's path and enriched the family collection with exquisite rugs, carpets and textiles, and by the late twentieth century the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection became one of the world's most important depositories of classical Persian carpets. The lot offered here is a true highlight of the collection and it exemplifies both the excellence of Safavid weavers but also the fineness of the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection.
The term 'Vase' was first coined to refer to a group of carpets with designs featuring stylized vases which were all woven using a very specific method. The term has since been used to signify all of those carpets woven in this manner, whether their designs include vases or not, a group of carpets known as 'vase'-technique carpets. The structure of the 'vase'-technique group is very unusual having three passes of wefts after each row of knots and having multi-colored wefts placed in a seemingly haphazard fashion as if to use up oddments of wool. The use of fine silk for the second of the three wefts, as in the present example, denotes a carpet of the highest quality within the group. This fine weft creates extremely dense pile. The Jeziorak carpet displays both the structure and the design of a 'vase' carpet with a sophisticated lattice arrangement of ornate palmettes and vases. The carpet is unusual for its diminutive size. The geometric interiors of the vases and the lyrical arabesque border would suggest a mid-seventeenth century attribution.

Sotheby's. Arts of the Islamic World. 19 Mar 09. Doha www.sothebys.com photo courtesy Sotheby's