The Ardabil Carpet is the name of two different famous Persian carpets, the larger and better-known now in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Originally there were two presumably identical carpets, and the London carpet, as restored and reconstructed in the 19th century, uses sections from both. It now measures 34 ft 3 in × 17 ft 6+7⁄8 in. The other carpet, now in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and smaller at 23 ft 7 in × 13 ft 1+1⁄2 in, was made up of the sections in adequate condition unused for the London carpet. Both carpets are now smaller than they would have been originally, and there are other fragments in various collections that appear to come from the reconstruction process. The carpets have a typical Tabriz design, with one central medallion and smaller, ornate designs surrounding. Such medallions and shapes were central to the design and reality of Persian gardens, a common symbol of paradise for followers of Islam.
The London Ardabil Carpet, 34 ft 3 in × 17 ft 6+7⁄8 in (1,044 cm × 535.5 cm).
The carpet in Los Angeles, 23 ft 7 in × 13 ft 1+1⁄2 in (718.82 cm × 400.05 cm).
The London Carpet sideways (very high res).
Corner, London
A Persian carpet or Persian rug, also known as Iranian carpet, is a heavy textile made for a wide variety of utilitarian and symbolic purposes and produced in Iran, for home use, local sale, and export. Carpet weaving is an essential part of Persian culture and Iranian art. Within the group of Oriental rugs produced by the countries of the "rug belt", the Persian carpet stands out by the variety and elaborateness of its manifold designs.
Detail of the Mantes Carpet, Safavid, Louvre
Hunting Carpet made by Ghiyâth-ud-Din Jâmi, wool, cotton and silk, 1542–1543, Museo Poldi Pezzoli, Milan
16th century, the "Schwarzenberg Carpet"
Persian Safavid period Animal carpet 16th century, Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg