This much-worn medallion carpet belongs to a remarkable category of sixteenth-century carpets from Iran. Often named “Sanguszko” carpets after the aristocratic Polish family who owned one example (today in the Miho Museum in Japan), this group is well-known for the human figures and animals in their complex designs. Here, the red central field features a dramatic yellow central medallion with smaller cartouches and pendants along the central vertical axis. At the corners are four quarter-medallions in dark blue. The border has a cream ground, with large leafy scrolls and flowers. The red field is filled with hunting creatures, drawn with great detail and fluency: tigers and leopards hunting down deer, lurking wolves and fiery supernatural creatures also in combat. Less easy to detect are the single faces peering out from the surrounding lotus flowers: angelic white faces with beauty spots, and snarling lion faces. At the very centre, the radiating design of the medallion is also packed with interlacing foliate scrollwork, and further animals, birds and fish packed into cartouches.
The most lyrical part of the design lies in the four corners, inside the quarter-medallions: against a dark blue ground, three winged angels gather, surrounded by curling clouds. One is seated and seems to hold a wine-cup, while the other two are carrying a peacock and a small deer: this seems to be a celestial version of a court reception scene.