LACMA's Ardabil Carpet Featured in 50 Works 50 Weeks Series Ahead of 2026 David Geffen Galleries Opening
In anticipation of the David Geffen Galleries' public debut in 2026, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art is showcasing 50 significant artworks over 50 weeks. Featured among these is the Ardabil carpet, which forms a pair with its counterpart housed at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Crafted in Iran between 1539 and 1540 by Maqsud of Kashan, these Persian carpets are renowned as premier examples from historical Islamic regions. Each carpet, adorned with intricate designs of lamps from a central medallion, is signed and dated, including verses from the 14th-century poet Hafiz. The LACMA's piece exhibits a striking blue, red, and yellow palette, with elements reflecting bookbinding and manuscript illumination traditions. Brought to England in the late 19th century, these carpets originated from the Safavid dynasty's ancestral shrine in Ardabil, northwestern Iran.
Key facts
- LACMA is preparing for the 2026 public opening of the David Geffen Galleries
- The museum is featuring 50 iconic artworks over 50 weeks in a series called 50 Works 50 Weeks
- The Ardabil carpet at LACMA is one of a matched pair, with its counterpart at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London
- The carpets were made in 1539–40 by Maqsud of Kashan
- Maqsud of Kashan described himself as a servant of the court
- The carpets feature unique designs with lamps hanging from their central medallions
- Each carpet is signed and dated with inscriptions including a couplet from 14th-century poet Hafiz
- The carpets were reportedly from the ancestral shrine of the Safavid dynasty at Ardabil in northwestern Iran
Entities
Artists
- Maqsud of Kashan
- Hafiz
Institutions
Locations
- Los Angeles
- United States
- London
- United Kingdom
- Iran
- Ardabil
- Kashan