Name of Object:

The Pearl Carpet

Other name of the Object (second name):

Baroda

Location:

Doha, Qatar

Holding Institution:

National Museum of Qatar

 About Qatar Museums, Doha

Date of Object:

19th century

Material(s) / Technique(s):

Pearls, silk, deer hide, beads, gems

Dimensions:

Toal area 45,670 cm2

Description:

The foundation of silk and fine deer hide is densely embroidered overall with a design worked in strings of natural ‘Basra’ pearls, measuring approximately 1-3 mm, and English coloured glass beads. There are on average 78 pearls and beads per vertical dm. (10 cm), and 68 per horizontal dm., equaling a density of c.4,990 pearls and beads per dm2. The total area of the carpet is c. 45,670 cm2. The 32 smaller rosettes cover an area of c. 400 cm2 with smaller gems, and the total area embroidered with pearls and is beads is approximately 44,500 cm2. Therefore, over 2.2 million pearls and beads have been used to decorate the field. In our estimation, the number of pearls employed in the design is therefor at least 1.2-1.5 million.

Citation of this web page:

"The Pearl Carpet" in "Sharing History", Museum With No Frontiers, 2024. https://sharinghistory.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;AWE;qt;3;en

MWNF Working Number: QT 003