Day #2: MET trip

Safavid Irani Carpets

As I finish up writing my one-page research paper on Islamic carpets and prayer rugs, I thought it would be a good idea to head on over to the MET to see their new installations on Islamic carpets and learn how they are showcased in museums. The dates of this installation and the time of my research project is a coincidence that I highly appreciate. I was able to see two or so prayer rugs that I viewed in a collections book from the BGC library in person. I was surprised to see what the curators decided to but a bit more stress and detail into than compared to other aspects of the rugs. For instance, they had an entire presentation and many pieces of wall text dedicated to the loom and the basic making of the prayer rugs and carpets. However, there was a lack in description of the symbolism within in the design of the prayer rugs (which will be discussed in my presentation). The installation was in a beautiful room that fit well with the rest of the Islamic art wing, detailed and designed.