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T The “Tiger” Carpet of the Poldi Pezzoli Museum in Milan was almost certainly produced by an exclusive royal manufactory. Purchased in 1855 at a private auction by count Gian Giacomo Poldi Pezzoli for the price of 80 Austrian Liras, the rug is a prime example of 16th-century Safavid Persian workmanship and one of the most important ancient carpets among all the collections of Italian museum. Its fantastic story, as we will see, has inspired both a poetic book and a wonderful exhibition. The carpet was hand-tied five centuries ago in the heart of Persia, where master weavers were already producing superior quality carpets in the early days of the Safavid dynasty (1501-1732). The carpet features the artistic representation of a garden: not just any garden, but the garden of Paradise. It is decorated with iconographic motifs and animal and vegetable species from faraway and imaginary worlds that, nonetheless, coexist in perfect harmony and artistic balance. Set against a ruby red background, tigers, lions, dragons, snakes and gazelles roam amidst red lilies, yellow roses and trees with a rich, luxuriant foliage. The centre is marked by a circular blue medallion featuring a pattern of decorative flowers and birds. A blue frame surrounds this idyllic world, almost as if to contain it, with an inscription woven in a silver brocade. It refers to the magic garden as a source of energy and life for “Darius of the Universe,” a symbol of kingship and power: probably the great Shah Tahmasp, who reigned in Persia between 1524 and 1576. The perimeter of the carpet, with a celadon green background, represents the boundary which separates the garden of Paradise from the terrestrial world. In this area, the decorations are more geometric, in the style of the “herati” pattern, with palmettes and curved leaves outlining a flower. Here too, abound terrestrial animals such as dogs, lions, roe deer, foxes, hares and tigers, all depicted with extreme attention to detail. The vibrant colours of the yarns were obtained from fifteen natural dyes, resulting in a
On these pages, the Persian carpet known as the “Tiger” Carpet was woven in central Persia around 1565. Owned by the Poldi Pezzoli Museum in Milan, it features a silk warp and weft, woollen knots and silver thread brocade, and measures 227 x 507 cm. It is one of the most important historical carpets to be held in an Italian museum.
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