Fragment of a carpet, wool with Spanish knots in blue, green, yellow, orange, red, and brown on a white ground weave

Virtually no carpets from the Spanish region have been preserved that can be dated to before the 15th century. The oldest still show signs of Islamic ornamentation as it was known from Nasrid Granada and from North Africa. The early carpets are often called mudejar since, like much of the ceramics from the 15th century, they were made by Muslim artists, but in Christian regions of southern Spain.

The best-known place of manufacture is Alcaraz, between Malaga and Valencia, but there were also workshops in other nearby cities such as Liétor and Hellin. In the 16th century, ornamentation was influenced more by European Renaissance art – and acanthus leaves became a favorite element.

The museum’s fragment is dominated by octagons kept in place by a frame. The octagons are filled with a complex interlacing pattern with a stylized flower or star in the middle that is also found in the frame. At the bottom are remnants of a border. The carpet was originally much larger and it has been proposed that the decoration reflected the coffered ceilings of the period.¹

The Spanish knot differs from the Turkish (ghiordes) and the Persian (senneh) knots by being tied over only one warp thread, while the others use two.