A 'Mughal' carpet fragment, probably Lahore, 18th century

The presence of blue cotton wefts is today argued as indicating a later (18th century), rather than 17th century date, and so not created under Mughul rule in the Punjab, although the design and colour scheme clearly show their indebtedness to the 17th century carpets from the region. A miniature painting 'Qadir Dad Khan Leti Listening to Music', Hyderabad, early 18th century, in the Rietberg Museum, Zurich and illustrated Michell, G., ed.,  Islamic Heritage of the Deccan, Bombay, 1986, fig. 7, shows a carpet with trellis field enclosing single blossoms similar to the present lot, and also within a flowerhead and vine meander border.