Object Description
Marbediah rug depicting views of Jerusalem
Israel, Early 20th Century
Height 94cm, width 70cm
Woven in the early 20th century, the medium-sized rug’s design wonderfully illustrates a landscape view of Jerusalem alongside Hebrew writing.
The central panel showcases a distant view of Jerusalem, where a tall building is placed within a woodland scenery. A wide border frames the view, its colours transitioning into paler shades towards the top of the image. Motifs depicting traditional Jewish objects such as Menorah lamps are depicted and were a popular feature of carpets produced by the Marbediah (also called Mervadiah) workshop in the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem (founded in 1906).
The outside border includes several red and orange shapes with black Hebrew writing as well as patterns. All are placed on top of a cream-coloured background.
The rug is signed in Hebrew in the bottom center. The signature reads ‘MARVADIAH’ testifying to the carpet’s important provenance and makers.
The beautiful design as well as a very important maker make this carpet a very desirable addition to one’s collection.