They are handmade in or around Tabriz, the principal city of northwestern Iran and one of its best known carpet producing centers. The identification of the court carpets of the early 16th century Safavid Shahs who made Tabriz their capital is no longer as simple as it once seemed. Still, the magnificent Ardabil Carpet at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and its mate in the Los Angeles Country Museum of art seem likely representatives of this production. More characteristic of Tabriz carpets, however, are the many 16th and 17th century carpets of commercial quality, in asymmetrical knotting upon a foundation of cotton, which apparently were exported to southern Europe and are now widespread in museum collections.
To be continued...
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