Toms Dragon Carpet

Perched between the great carpet centres of Safavid Iran and Ottoman Turkey, artisans in the Caucasus region produced woolen rugs with distinct, geometric designs. They included the highly stylised S-shaped dragons seen here. Animal imagery originated in Chinese art, however, through frequent trade, it filtered into the arts of the Caucasus.

Produced during the 11th-12th century AH/17th-18th century CE, this carpet, known by the name of a previous collector, also includes other animals, such as dragon-headed stags (chi'lin) and ducks. These figures appear either paired in mirrored combat scenes or shown individually. They are set against an unusual yellow ground. This is a noteworthy feature, since most dragon carpets from the period use red or blue backgrounds. Stylised leaves fill the remaining space. Some motifs may represent lotus blossoms.