Oriental Rug Exchange

An article in HALI 222 features textiles selected by 17 scholars and museum curators illuminating facets of the Silk Road. Among the objects are Central Asian textiles, a sleeveless tunic, five-colour samite, a silk panel, and more.

Nicoletta Fazio from the Qatar Museums commented on this silk robe from Iran: ‘My heart dropped when my eyes fell on [it], hidden, for years, amid thousands of other objects acquired by Qatar Museums. Although darkened by the passing of time, the coat retains its ancient sheen, and it must have made quite an impression when worn. It is simple in cut; its beauty lies in its material, fine untwisted silk woven in a repeated pattern of large medallions with confronted dragons in double-pearl roundels.’

Discover the other textiles chosen by museum curators through a digital subscription to HALI, which can be accessed via the link in our bio.

Image: Silk Robe, Iran, 7th–8th centuries. Museum of Islamic Art, Doha.

Flat-woven carpets at Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum The Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum in Baku houses a vast collection of approximately 700 flat-woven carpets. This collection spans the 18th to 20th