Detail of a red patterned Middle Eastern wool rug from 1800
Image Credit

Caucasus, Carpet with Harshang Pattern, about 1800. Hand-knotted wool pile; wool warp and weft; 146 x 79.5 in. Neusteter Textile Collection at the Denver Art Museum: Anonymous Bequest, 1986.122. Photography by Eric Stephenson, courtesy Denver Art Museum

Rugged Beauty

Antique Carpets from Western Asia
December 18, 2022 – May 29, 2023

Caucasus, Carpet with Harshang Pattern, about 1800. Hand-knotted wool pile; wool warp and weft; 146 x 79.5 in. Neusteter Textile Collection at the Denver Art Museum: Anonymous Bequest, 1986.122. Photography by Eric Stephenson, courtesy Denver Art Museum

Rugged Beauty: Antique Carpets from Western Asia opens a window into the artistic and utilitarian innovations of weavers, domestic consumption, and the cross-cultural exchanges between present-day Turkey, Iran, and the Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia) from the 1500s to the 1900s.

The stories in Rugged Beauty showcase the living traditions of western Asia, a vast and culturally rich region of the world. Each of the more than 40 objects on display were made by hand, predominantly dyed by hand, and hand-woven using the knotted-pile weaving technique. Though the individual identities of the makers are mostly unknown, the rugs' designs of rich colors, intricate patterns, and complex symbols reveal a deep history of trade, diplomacy, and foreign relationships.

Rugged Beauty will be on view December 18, 2022, through May 29, 2023. Entry is included in general admission, which is free for everyone 18 and under every day, as well as museum members.

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Martin Building, Level 6
Included in general admission
Wool rug with patterns shaped like abstract flames and dragons

Caucaus, Dragon Rug, 1700s. Hand-knotted wool pile; wool warp and weft; 144 x 73 in. The Textile Museum Collection, Washington DC, R36.1.2: Acquired by George Hewitt Myers in 1923. Photography by Breton Littlehales.

Large rectangular prayer rug with a brightly-colored pattern design

Turkey, Ladik Prayer Rug, 1834-35. Hand-knotted wool pile; wool warp and weft; 88 x 53 in. Collection of Richard and Jackie Geist.

Iranian silk patterned carpet from 1880

Heriz or Tabriz, Northwest Iran, Fantasy Animal Carpet with Poem (Vaq Vaq Carpet), about 1880. Hand-knotted silk pile; silk warp and weft; 196 x 146.75 in. Neusteter Textile Collection at the Denver Art Museum: Gift of James E. Stokes and Mrs. Donald Magarrell, 1956.38. Photography by Eric Stephenson, courtesy Denver Art Museum

Colorful patterned square-shaped Iranian wool rug

Iran, Ferahan Rug, about 1875. Hand-knotted wool pile; cotton warp and weft; 121 x 141 in. Neusteter Textile Collection at the Denver Art Museum: 1981 Collectors’ Choice Benefit Fund, 1981.315. Photography by Eric Stephenson, courtesy Denver Art Museum

Red rectangular patterned Iranian carpet made out of wool

Caucasus, Carpet with Harshang Pattern, about 1800. Hand-knotted wool pile; wool warp and weft; 146 x 79.5 in. Neusteter Textile Collection at the Denver Art Museum: Anonymous Bequest, 1986.122. Photography by Eric Stephenson, courtesy Denver Art Museum

Rectangular red and brown rug depicting patterns representing jewelry pendants

Anatolia, Medallion Carpet with Depictions of Jewelry Pendants, late 1700s–early 1800s. Hand-knotted wool pile; wool warp and weft; 97 x 64 in. Saint Louis Art Museum: Gift of James F. Ballard, 88:1929

Turkisk wool patterned rug

Turkey, Large Fragmentary Ushak Quatrefoil Carpet, 1500s. Hand-knotted wool pile; wool warp and weft; 124 x 90 in. Saint Louis Art Museum: Gift of James F. Ballard, 98:1929

Long rectangular Iranian wool carpet with vase-shaped patterns

Kerman Province, Iran, Vase Technique Carpet, 1600s. Hand-knotted wool pile; wool warp and weft; 136 x 58 in. Saint Louis Art Museum: Gift of Nellie Ballard White, 285:1972.

Long rectangular Iranian wool carpet featuring star-shaped patterns

Northwest Iran, Star Medallion Rug, about 1500. Hand-knotted wool pile; cotton warp and weft; 178.5 x 73 in. The Textile Museum Collection, Washington DC R33.1.25: Acquired by George Hewitt Myers in 1926

Turkish wool rug with a floral and diamond-shape pattern

Karapinar, West Central Turkey, Karapinar Rug, 1700s. Hand-knotted wool pile; wool warp and weft; 104 x 64 in. The Textile Museum Collection, Washington DC, R34.00.1: Acquired by George Hewitt Myers in 1949

Red patterned Iranian rug with a tiger shape in the center

Southwestern Iran, Khamseh Lion Rug, 1800s. Hand-knotted wool pile; wool warp and weft; 67 x 76 in. Private Collection.

Intricately patterned Turkish rug

Northwest Turkey, Bergama Rug, 1800s. Hand-knotted wool pile; wool warp and weft; 70 x 60 in. Gift of William and Sondra Bechhoefer.

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Rugged Beauty: Antique Carpets from Western Asia is organized by the Denver Art Museum. Support is provided by the donors to the Annual Fund Leadership Campaign and the residents who support the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD). Promotional support is provided by 5280 Magazine and CBS Colorado. Special thanks to Paul Ramsey for his invaluable participation in conceiving and realizing this project.