ORNAMENTATION OF CARPETS COLE. 141 



From these I pass to specimens of another type of design. That 

 on the left is probably of Caucasian or Kurdish weaving, and in the 

 style of fiteenth century carpet designs, whilst that on the right is of 

 Spanish or Moorish work. , Its field is covered with a diaper pattern 

 of small foliated crosses, and toward the middle there are two eight- 

 cusp circular panels containing a shield of arms. The outer border 

 has Kufic characters mixed with small animal, bird, and blossom 

 devices, which are repeated in the squares of the narrower inner 

 border. The border pattern of the left-hand rug seems to be of orna- 

 ment developed from Kufic writing, and such borders are seen in 

 Persian miniatures dating even from the end of the fourteenth cen- 

 tury, and more often in later miniatures as well as in paintings by 

 such artists as Hans Memling (1425-1490), Raphael (1483-1520), 

 and many more at this time. Such carpets, with others coming into 

 general use by the well to do in Europe, served more often as table 

 than as floor coverings, and it is claimed that some of them were 

 made even in England. 



Here, for instance, is one of these carpets. The design of the bor- 

 der corresponds with that we have just discussed; at the sides and 

 bottom of it are shields with the arms impaled on them of two 

 English families, and on the lowest part of the carpet are the words, 

 " Feare God and keep His commandments. Made in the year 1603." 



At this time East India merchants caused carpets to be made to 

 their order at Lahore and elsewhere, and their coats of arms and 

 initials would be introduced into the designs. A very fine specimen 

 of such carpets belongs to the Girdlers' Company, and has been illus- 

 trated in recent books about carpets. 



On the ornamental side of carpets made in Europe from the six- 

 teenth century onward, there is much to say. On the gradual devel- 

 opment of European methods of carpet manufacture there is still 

 more to say; but in these lectures I can give an extremely brief 

 resume only of a few incidents that stand out. The oldest of them 

 has to do with those French corporations of tapissiers whose thir- 

 teenth century regulations are well known and have been much dis- 

 cussed with the object of determining which of the two bodies — the 

 " Tapissiers Sarrasinois " and the " Tapissiers Nostrez " were con- 

 cerned with the manufacture of flat-surface floor covering and that of 

 raised pile. Their weavings were employed for seats and hanging on 

 walls, or placing on tables, and this more often probably than as floor 

 coverings — rushes or mats being then ordinarily strewn on floors. 

 Illuminated MSS. supply indications of their patterns, which were 

 generally diapers and spottings; patterns of fuller design were dis- 

 played upon imported Oriental carpets. With the early years of the 

 sixteenth century the manufacture of tapestries in France begins to 

 be organized, under the patronage of the Government, but it is not 



