By the end of the 16th century, carpet manufacturing had well and truly made its way from Central Asia to Europe, although the rugs being produced remained accessible only to the very wealthy. Oriental motifs dominated many of the designs, with there was an increasing demand for Renaissance-inspired textiles. Over the coming centuries, major shifts were to take place in the industry, from the workshops of Persia to the modern factories in Britian and the United States.
Court-influenced carpets in Persia and the Mughal Empire
In the 17th century, the Safavid Dynasty came to power in Persia and this marked a period of great artistic and cultural growth across the region. As avid patrons of the arts, the Safavids played an important role in developing not only painting and architecture, but also artisinal crafts and carpet manufacturing.
Rugs from the period feature ornate detailing and curvilinear designs with either natural or religious motifs. Many were of substantial size as they were created to adorn the floors of royal palaces or the homes of courtiers. It has been dubbed the “Golden Age of Persian Weaving”, with the gifting of rugs to foreign aristocracies contributing to the spread of their popularity.

Meanwhile, the Mughal Empire was developing a unique style of carpet design that blended Persian motifs with Indian artistry. Many carpets produced on the subcontinent in the 16th and 17th centuries featured floral or animal motifs. Larger ones were intended for Mughal courts while smaller ones were used as prayer rugs.
The Mughal emperor, Akbar, was particularly enthusiastic about supporting the textile industry and established numerous karkhanas (workshops) across the empire. He also played an important role in enhancing the skills of local weavers by providing training for artisans. This was not merely for economic gain but as a means of upholding the artistic principles of the Islamic society.

Innovations of the Industrial Revolution
England’s first carpet manufacturing workshops were established in the mid-17th century and as the Industrial Revolution kicked into gear, it quickly transformed from a cottage industry into a commercial one. As developments were made in dyeing and weaving techniques, and the availability of synthetic materials increased, the industry began expanding into the variety of carpets we know today.
Among the most famous of England’s early carpets is the Axminster, which was originally created in a factory in Devon by Thomas Whitty. He was inspired by a Turkish rug he’d seen at a London market and returned to Axminster to figure out how to make one of a similar quality. Knotted by hand, Axminster rugs usually featured floral motifs or mimicked Oriental designs and they became widely popular in the 18th century.

However, it was across the Atlantic in the United States where the biggest shift in the industry was about to take place. In 1791, William Sprague opened a carpet factory in Philadelphia and within a few decades, the Massachusetts-born inventor, Erastus Bigelow, had designed a power loom, which rapidly escalated the production abilities of rug manufacturing.
At the same time, the burgeoning of the middle classes across the United States and Europe fuelled the demand for carpets. In response, innovation after innovation was taking place, including the development of the “Gripper” Axminster loom in 1890. The reduced manpower requirements and increased speed of production helped to drive down prices and make the carpets more accessible.
The enduring legacy of 19th-century Persian masters
The 19th century also saw innovations taking place in Persian carpet design, with several star weavers coming to the fore and transforming the industry. Among these was Mohtasham Kashan, who was based out of the city of Kashan, which was historically a getaway destination for the wealthy. It was through the patronage of affluent families that he was able to hone his craft to virtuosic levels.
Mohtasham Kashan’s carpets featured everything from curvilinear designs to botanical motifs inspired by the royal gardens in Kashan. They are notable for their tightly spun cotton warps and indigo-dyed double wefts, coupled with incredibly precise details. Despite the wool being lanolin-rich and difficult to work with, the designs were complex and gracefully patterned.

More than 700 kilometres away in Tabriz, Hadji Jalili was making his mark. Known to be well-versed in European Romantic art and continental design traditions, this highly revered master drew on influences from Sufi philosophy and Persian carpets from the “Golden Age”.
Hadji Jalili’s workshop used only the finest materials and employed some of Persia’s top weavers and dyers. His creations were innovative for the time, with brilliant floral motifs and grandiose medallions depicted using incredibly dense weaves. Hadji Jalili carpets are unique in their restrained colour palettes and subtle tones, with sand, terracotta and rusts preferred over the deep reds and blues of earlier Persian designs.

An industry transformed
By the end of the 19th century, there had been a major shift in not only the design of carpets around the world but the way they were being produced. With the speed of power looms, rugs could be manufactured much more rapidly and affordably, making them accessible not only to royalty but also the middle classes. The legacies and designs of early masters still lived on but were being adapted to meet the tastes of a wider market, often on the other side of the globe.