Pictorial Carpet 17th century This silk carpet combines an unusually dense weave for a Persian carpet, with a composition inspired by Flemish tapestry. While the pictorial scene can be traced to seventeenthcentury Europe, the technique and execution point to the Safavid court as the source of patronage and production. It is possible that such carpets were woven in Iran for export or intended as diplomatic gifts. The smaller scale of the buildings suggests the influence of European perspective. The border compartments, whose arrangement is also repeated symmetrically, show figures in European dress, flower vases, and reclining deer.. Pictorial Carpet 451894