Conserving the Emperor’s Carpet

The Emperor’s Carpet is an extraordinary example of Safavid weaving held in the NY Met’s permanent collection. The Safavid empire is considered to have supported and inspired the pinnacle of Persian rug weaving. And the weaving from this period has shaped all rug weaving that followed.

I have had the good fortune to visit this masterpiece several times and I always try to make a “pilgrimage” to the Met whenever I am in NY.

While the Islamic galleries were closed for renovations, the textile department of the Met undertook an amazing three year conservation of this carpet.

At the bottom of the page, you will find a fascinating video presentation of this process; a detailed and laborious project! Also, watch the video all-the-way through to see stunning close-up shots of this carpet. I found this video wonderful and I recommend that anyone who is interested in antique carpets watch this.