Donated to the V&A by Robert Murdoch Smith in 1883, together with a batch of three other carpet fragments and sixty-five printed cotton specimens from Isfahan, which he sent by post. At this time, it was difficult to purchase historic carpets, which were in great international demand, but fragments could still be bought from carpet-restorers. Murdoch Smith writes: "One of the bits of carpet is I think excellent. Unfortunately I could get no more of it."