The Ardabil Carpet, is the world's oldest dated carpet and one of the largest, most beautiful and historically important in the world. In 2006, the V&A created a case in the centre of Room 42: The Jameel Gallery of Islamic Art, so that the carpet could be seen as intended, on the floor. To preserve its colours, it is lit for ten minutes on the hour and half-hour.
History of the Ardabil Carpet
The Ardabil Carpet was made as one of a matching pair in the late 1530s for the shrine at Ardabil. After an earthquake in the 1870s the carpets were sold. One was used to p…
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How the Ardabil Carpet Was Made
The Ardabil Carpet, like most textiles, consists of warps and wefts. it was made on a loom by knotting short lengths of wool around the warps to create a rows of pile.
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The Design of the Ardabil Carpet
The entire surface of the Ardabil carpet is covered by a single integrated design - an impressive feat in view of the great size of the carpet. The basic design is relative…
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Poems about the V&A: 'Handle with care' by Nii Parkes
In 2003 the poet Nii Ayikwei Parkes was commissioned to write a series of poems inspired by the V&A's collection. This poem was inspired by the Ardabil Carpet.
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Room 42: Islamic Art
The Jameel Gallery houses over 400 objects, including ceramics, textiles, carpets, metalwork, glass and woodwork, which date from the great days of the Islamic caliphate of…
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A gift in your will
You may not have thought of including a gift to a museum in your will, but the V&A is a charity and legacies form an important source of funding for our work. It is not just the great collectors and the wealthy who leave legacies to the V&A. Legacies of all sizes, large and small, make a real difference to what we can do and your support can help ensure that future generations enjoy the V&A as much as you have.
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Oriental Carpets and their Structure: Highlights from the V&A Collection
A short introduction covers the history of carpets in the West, from the 16th-century when they became synonymous with wealth and fashionable living, …
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