Pashmina Carpet with Gateway-and-Millefleur Pattern
The area of northern India and eastern Pakistan was an important region for carpet weaving during the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Millefleur carpets and some later flower-style pieces were manufactured there. They were usually made with fine knots and expensive pashmina wool. The type shown here was designed as a pair of cypress trees on either side under an arch, symbolizing the gateway to a flower-filled paradise. This example is distinguished by its geometric treatment of the millefleur pattern and a central vase from which the motifs grow.
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