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hunting carpet
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Figure 81: Naturalistic human figure and animal motifs. (top) Winged figures from the border possibly jinn or houris, seated amid flowering stems and birds in paradise. Details of a Persian silk hunting carpet from Kashan, Iran, 16th century. In the Oste Figure 81: Naturalistic human figure and animal motifs. (bottom) Scene from the field showing mounted huntsmen attacking a leopard. Details of a Persian silk hunting carpet from Kashan, Iran, 16th century. In the Osterreichisches Museum Fur Angewandte Figure 85: Detail of a Persian wool hunting carpet probably from Tabriz, Iran, dated 1521. Hunters and their prey are positioned symmetrically on a dark blue field covered with blossoming stems. The c
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hunting carpet

Persian textile
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Figure 81: Naturalistic human figure and animal motifs. (top) Winged figures from the border possibly jinn or houris, seated amid flowering stems and birds in paradise. Details of a Persian silk hunting carpet from Kashan, Iran, 16th century. In the Oste
Figure 81: Naturalistic human figure and animal motifs. (top) Winged figures from the border possibly jinn or houris, seated amid flowering stems and birds in paradise. Details of a Persian silk hunting carpet from Kashan, Iran, 16th century. In the Oste

A hunting carpet is a Persian textile, often made of silk with gilded silver threads, that depicts mounted hunters and their prey. These carpets are renowned for their intricate designs and fine weaving, with some considered among the finest surviving Safavid carpets.1

The motifs found in hunting carpets, like other Persian textiles, can include geometric, stylized, and naturalistic elements. Common illustrative motifs include various animals such as lions, tigers, cheetahs, deer, and birds, as well as human figures like hunters and musicians. The underlying theme often symbolizes fertility or abundance.2

The "hunting carpet" in the Museo Poldi Pezzoli in Milan, dated to 1521, is a notable example, featuring hunters pursuing prey across a field of blossoming stems. These carpets were likely designed by artists attached to the Persian court and were produced in centers like Kâshân, Tabriz, or Kazvin.31

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3 Britannica Sources
  1. rug and carpet - Individual motifs
  2. Austrian Hunting Carpet
  3. rug and carpet - Persia

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