Village and Commercial Rugs from Turkey

Double Niche Rug
Turkey, 17th or 18th Century
Wool pile, 144.8 x 213.4 cm (57 x 84 in.)
Winterthur Museum, Gift of Henry F. du Pont, no. 1954.62.1

The design of this rug is derived from a 15th-century prototype from the repertoire of the well-known western Anatolian weaving center of Ushak. Its popularity ensured its repetition over a long period of time, both by weavers producing carpets for export, as well as by village weavers who regarded the design as fashionable enough to be copied. The weaving style of this example is not typical for Ushak, and may be an early village-based version.