Saddle Cover

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Elaborate caparisons, or ornamental coverings for horses and camels, are an essential part of almost every nomadic art tradition. Textiles were often designed to cover leather saddles. Some examples, including this one, feature side panels to provide cushioning for the rider’s thighs. The floral motifs, rendered in a naturalistic style, are characteristic of Bakhtiari tribal works. Also common among Bakhtiari carpets is the symmetrically knotted pile technique the weaver used here.

Islamic Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met's collection of Islamic art ranges in date from the seventh to the twenty-first century. Its more than 15,000 objects reflect the great diversity and range of the cultural traditions of Islam, with works from as far westward as Spain and Morocco and as far eastward as Central Asia and Indonesia. Comprising both sacred and secular objects, the collection reveals the mutual influence of artistic practices such as calligraphy, and the exchange of motifs such as vegetal ornament (the arabesque) and geometric patterning in both realms.

Metropolitan Museum of Art