Carpet
1525-1575
Medium
Wool, plain weave with supplementary wrapping wefts forming cut pile through a technique known as "Spanish knots;" warp fringe
Dimensions
561 × 296.5 cm (220 7/8 × 116 3/4 in.)
Classification
textile
Department
Textiles
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
105640
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Alcaraz was probably the most famous city in Spain for the production of carpets and other woven textiles, and it contiuned to be so until the mid-seventeenth century. The weaving technique of early Spanish carpets differs greatly from that of examples woven in the Near East. Pieces, such as this one, were made with a 'single-warp knot' in which the yarn that formed the pile was wrapped around only one thread. Near Eastern weavers used several variations of knots wrapped around two warp threads ...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...