New The Met Store Iranian Vase Carpet Blue Cotton-and-Silk Pocket Square

Gifts for art lovers, inspired by The Met collection.

The timeless design featured on this pocket square is derived from a sumptuous 17th-century carpet in The Met’s Islamic art collection. Made in Iran, probably Kirman, the Museum’s carpet is abundant with naturalistic flowers and plants, which are contained within four quarter medallions in the corners and organize around a medallion in the center. So-called “vase” carpets such as this one were named for the sporadic presence of vases in the pattern.

A similar design is found on many decorative leather book covers from the same period, and given that artists working in the court atelier produced designs for artisans working in different media, it’s likely that Safavid weavers adapted this motif from contemporary manuscripts….See More