engleski

Islamic Rugs in the Painting of the Eastern Adriatic:Use and Iconography in the Early Modern Period

Despite political confrontations with the Ottomans in the Early modern period, Venice abounded in luxury goods produced in the Middle East, which were also distributed from Venice to Europe. Among them, Islamic rugs in particular stand out. Their value is confirmed by the fact that even today oriental rugs are regarded as highly appreciated presents in official and inter-state ceremonies. In 1520, the Venetian Senate sent sixty oriental carpets to English Cardinal Wolsey, whose total value was over a thousand ducats, and the recent official visit of the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to the Vatican in 2016, ended with a ceremonial exchange of gifts in which the Iranian president gave the pope a handmade carpet. Depictions of different Islamic rugs have appeared in numerous western art paintings since the first half of the fourteenth century. It is interesting that such paintings in principle show an unusual degree of consistency in the transference of pattern compositions so they can be analysed and connected to the kept textile originals. Unlike in paintings from the north of Europe, in Italian painting of the 16th century, as well as in the painting of the Eastern Adriatic, oriental rugs are rarely seen on the ground which indicates their status as luxury goods and the need for their careful maintenance. Placing a rug on the ground under the feet of the represented figure was a sign of great honor and respect. From the early Middle Ages, a carpet has had a symbolic function and a socio-political significance. The one who is allowed to step onto the carpet enjoys the protection of the ruler. Over time, the symbolism has spread throughout the world and remained to the present days in the form of a red carpet which a statesman steps onto upon his arrival to a foreign country. The article analyzes the original purpose of several types of Islamic carpets and their use as an iconographical instrument in the paintings of the Eastern Adriatic in the early modern period.

rugs ; paintings ; renaissance ; Venice ; iiconography ; 16th century, Adriatic

nije evidentirano