A MUGHAL FLORAL LATTICE CARPET FRAGMENT, NORTH INDIA |

mounted on stretcher

With Clive Loveless by September 1998; Christies, London, 18 October 2001, lot 63.

Hali, September 1998, issue 100, p. 124.

Overall fragmentary measurements: 75cm across the top, 75cm across the bottom, 133cm the left hand side, 134cm the right hand side. The stretcher - 145 by 87cm. Fragmentary. Pile variable from 1mm in densest areas, oxidisation and wear to foundation as visible in photograph. Some minor re-piling. Some small inserted patches, the largest approximately 10 by 8cm in the upper right hand quadrant, visible from online photograph. A very decorative example which is ready to hang.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This fragment of lattice carpet relates closely to two Mughal lattice carpets. The first is the James. D. Burns Mughal carpet, 17^th century, (380 by 208cm), in the Textile Museum, Washington D.C. (TM:  1994.12.1), illustrated in Hali (September 1996), p.105, and noted that the principles of symmetry are not limited to geometric designs. The other is a large 17th century carpet, North India, Kashmir or Lahore, (907 by 503cm) in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (Inventory reference IS.244-1964), which is of the same format and fineness of quality, which unusually has a change in orientation of the plants in one half, and incorporation of four blossoms arranged in a cross shape rather than flowering plants, see Wearden (2003), see pl. 58 (detail), pp.29 & 70. It has a complementary and beautifully proportioned wide border, delicately filled with palmettes and flowers between two narrow scroll borders with arabesques against a yellow ground. For a very similar Mughal carpet, circa 1601-1699, reduced in length, with complementary cerise border with stylised flowerheads, narrow ivory and yellow inner and outer guards (360 by 200cm), see Sotheby’s, London, 5 April 2006, lot 56; provenance: Hagop Kevorkian. For an example which is a pair with the Burns carpet, matching along a line of bisected shrubs along one side of the field, and therefore a mirror image in design, from the second half 17^th century, reduced in length and with narrow ivory and yellow inner and outer guards (lacking main border), 362 by 190cm), see Christie’s, London, 8 October 2013, lot 100, provenance: George Bemberg, Paris.

For comprehensive discussion of the group see Walker (1997), pp.3-14, 86-117, 105-107, and pp.107-117.

For another floral lattice carpet, Deccan, Hyderabad, see lot 46 in this sale. 

Wearden (2003): Wearden, Jennifer, Oriental Carpets and their Structure, Highlights from the V&A Collection, London, 2003, see pl. 58 (detail), pp.29 & 70

Walker (1997): Walker, Daniel, Flowers Underfoot: Indian Carpets of the Mughal Era, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1997, Chp. 1., India during the Mughal Era, pp.3-14, and Chp. 4, The Carpets, The Flower Style, pp.86-117, ‘Lattice and Flower Pattern’, pp.105-107, and ‘Lattice and Blossom Pattern’, pp.107-117