Color Power: Contributions of Science and Technology to the Study of sixteenth and seventh-century ‘Vine-scroll’ carpets

In recent years, research on carpets has focused on the production and consumption of Persian “vine-scroll” carpets produced between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Through the study of collections in Portugal and the United States, this paper looks at the transformation of the Iranian carpet industry in response to the demands and competitiveness of the growing international market and how, when, and where this occurred.
Based on an interdisciplinary approach involving art history, history, and conservation science and by bringing together the complex political, economic, and cultural backgrounds that set the stage for major innovations in carpet production, this study identified the development of a new carpet type and its variations through a comprehensive survey of fifty-nine selected carpets. Technical and material analysis, especially of dyes, achieved a more detailed
understanding of the origin and context of production and local manufacturing processes. Meanwhile, the carpet designs and their depictions in European paintings were traced to develop a chronology for the evolution of production.
In this paper, in addition to presenting general results of this combined methodology, a group of four carpets are presented as case studies that offer insights into the evolution of the vine-scroll type and new interpretations on the roles of the producer and consumer between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.