Agra

An Afghan Agra rug, knotted by hand with hand-spun, vegetable-dyed wool, woven by master weavers in northern Afghanistan.

Inspired by the great carpet-weaving tradition of Agra in north-central India, this design draws on the legacy of imperial workshops established by the Mughal emperor Akbar in the late sixteenth century. Early Agra carpets drew strongly on Persian traditions, gradually developing a distinctive Mughal aesthetic of graceful floral designs and increasingly naturalistic forms. Celebrated at the Mughal court and later traded widely to Europe, these carpets became one of India’s most significant contributions to the history of Oriental rug weaving.