Oosters tapijt 1850 - 1900

This is a large "Oosters tapijt," or Eastern carpet, created by Afshar. The carpet's dark palette, dominated by deep blues and browns, creates a subdued yet inviting visual field. The texture, achieved through a dense weave, enriches the surface with complex patterns. A closer look reveals an intricate structure of repeated motifs arranged in precise rows and columns. This geometric exactitude is softened by the slight irregularities inherent in the handmade process, giving the carpet its distinctive character. The carpet's design plays with semiotic systems of signs, with the pattern creating a visual language. This interplay between rigid structure and subtle variation destabilizes any singular interpretation, inviting ongoing analysis. It is in this tension—between control and chance, order and chaos—that the carpet truly comes alive, offering not just aesthetic pleasure but also a profound meditation on the nature of form itself.