Uşak. 15th-16th century.
Knotted pile technique (wool, Turkish knot).

Uşak (110 km west of Afyon) was one of the most important and renowned carpet centers in Ottoman times (late 15th to 18th century). Rug production is still going on today, but on a lesser level and with altered designs.
In the 17th century great quantities of Uşak carpets were made for the royal houses and the Christian churches of Europe. They are named according to their specific design: ‘star’, ‘medallion’, ‘bird’, ‘chintamani’ (or: leopard spot), ‘cloud band’ or after renaissance artists who included them in their paintings: ‘Holbein’ and ‘Lotto’, after Hans Holbein the Younger (1497-1543) and Lorenzo Lotto (1480-1556).

The carpet on this picture is a ‘chintamani’ (or: leopard spot; Turkish: ‘şintemani’), because of the three twin coloured orbs arranged in triangle (in the main field of the rug). This motif is thought to be a Central Asian symbol of good fortune.
The black zigzag motif in the white border is a ‘Suyolu’ (running water), a symbol of fertility. It is combined with various flower motifs, which refer to the Garden of Eden, a symbol of ‘Heaven on Earth’ (a paradise-like existence).

Correspondent: J.M.Criel, Antwerpen.
Sources: ‘Catalogs of Turkish Handwoven Carpets’– Turkish Ministry of Culture & ‘Oriental Rugs, volume 4: Turkish’ (Zipper & Fritzsche) .