Malmuk rug, Egypt, late
Fifteenth Century, The Textile Museum, acquired by George
Hewitt Myers in 1953.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - "Mamluk Rugs from Egypt: Jewels of The Textile
Museum's Collection" will be on view through September 7 at the
museum.
Mamluk rugs are extremely rare and are considered to be the
finest carpets ever produced. The museum's collection of Mamluk
rugs, dating from the last quarter of the Fifteenth Century, is
considered the largest and most important collection in the
world.
"Mamluk Rugs from Egypt" is curated by Carol Bier, research
associate, Islamic textiles, The Textile Museum.
Comprising a cohesive design group for which there is no
carpet-weaving precedent or antecedent, Mamluk rugs are executed
in a three-color palette of jewel-tone reds, blues and greens.
They feature a carefully controlled repertory of designs based on
geometric shapes and stylized leaf forms. The use of simple
geometric forms, repeated within circles and squares, relates
Mamluk rugs to architectural decoration and other art forms, such
as metalwork, enameled glass, inlaid stone, and illuminated
manuscripts, that were the principal forms of artistic expression
in Mamluk Egypt.
The compositional scheme of Mamluk rugs often features a central
square set within a rectangular format. Within the central square
there is generally a central geometric motif. Repeated geometric
shapes and floral motifs radiate outward from this center. The
effect is similar to so-called astral compositions found in other
Mamluk arts. The leaf forms, in clusters and undulating vines,
define the borders and ground, and relate these rugs
compositionally to Koran frontispieces.
The rugs exhibit excellent craftsmanship and quality of
materials. The equal number of knots in both horizontal and
vertical directions enabled weavers to render perfect circles and
squares. A striking interplay of color and sheen is the result of
exceptionally lustrous wool and saturated dyes.
While Mamluk rugs are regarded as among the most striking of all
Islamic rugs, they are also perhaps the least understood. The
emergence of Mamluk rugs rests upon no known development of pile
rug-weaving traditions, nor is their influence felt in later
traditions. After the Ottoman conquest of Egypt in 1517,
rug-weaving traditions shared technical characteristics with
Mamluk predecessors, but motifs reflected the newly emerging
Ottoman Imperial style, distinguished by stylized and ornate
floral forms. Many questions about Mamluk rugs remain unanswered.
Mamluk derives from the Arabic word "to own" and refers to
persons purchased as bodyguards to the Sultan. The Mamluks, of
military slave origin, wrested power from the Ayyubid dynasty in
1250 and ruled until their defeat by the Ottomans in 1517. The
Mamluks were great warriors; during their reign they checked the
Western aggression of the Mongols and finally defeated the
crusaders. They were also generous patrons of the arts and
devoted to Islam.
The age of the Mamluks is often referred to as a renaissance of
Islamic art -- works created during the reign of the Mamluk
sultans represent the pinnacle of medieval Islamic art in Egypt.
In addition to enameled glass and inlaid metalwork, textiles
played a major role in the economy of the Mamluk Empire. As there
was a great demand for Mamluk goods in Europe, rugs were produced
for domestic use and for export. Mamluk silks were sought by
European aristocracy and clergymen, and remain today in the
holdings of European churches and museums.
The museum is at 2320 S Street, NW. For information,
202-667-0441.
