Carpets at the Met

Recently I was in New York where I visited the newly re-opened Islamic Art Galleries. Actually, the re-done galleries are officially called “New Galleries for the Art of the Arab Lands, Turkey, Iran, Central Asia and Later South Asia“. Wow! Wanna try saying that five times fast….?

Anyway, whatever you call them…. the New Galleries are absolutely beautiful. A highlight for me, of course, was visiting many of the historic carpets that the Met has in its permanent collection. There are many stunning Safavid pieces, numerous Mughal masterpieces and Anatolian treasures and more!

My favorite carpet is probably the transcendent “Simonetti” carpet (named after one of the carpets’ former owners). This rug dates to the Mamluk period and it is a true masterpiece.

Anyway, I made a short video showing some of the highlights of the carpets from this collection. I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for looking. Chris