Oriental Rugs Dictionary
Leopard I Carpets
Leopard carpets refer to a pair of 16th-century oriental carpets preserved in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York) and the Museum of Applied Arts (Vienna). These carpets are notable for their distinctive patterning, which has been interpreted as resembling leopard skin motifs. They are important historical examples used in the study of early oriental carpet design. A pair of 16 Century Persian carpets given to the Austrian Emperor, Leopard I, by Peter the Great of Russia. The field is red and filled with animals in combat, cloud bands, blossoms and palmetts. The inner minor order contains lines from a poem. The knot density is 320 asymmetric knots per Sq. Inch. Warps are cotton and the wefts are silk. The size of the carpets is Apx. 11-6x24-4 Ft. One carpet is in Vienna and the other at the Metropolitan Museum in New York.
