This extraordinary cotton Agra carpet is the heir to the great tradition of classical Mughal court weaving establish in Agra during the seventeenth century. The Mughal field design consists of an allover zigzag lattice in diamond array that produces a reciprocal pattern of staggered stepped medallions. The border too is classic – a realistically rendered vine burgeoning with leaves and flowers, set dramatically on a blue-black ground. But unlike the Mughal prototypes, the palette is not intense and pungent. Rather, it is cool and highly decorative – soft greens, mauve, tan, and pale blue, with sparing reds and black restricted to the border. The coolness of the palette is nicely complemented by the texture of the cotton pile and the crisp precision of the drawing.
