polonaise​​carpets

The​ ​term​ ​“polonaise​ ​carpets”​ ​refers​ ​to​ ​a​ ​specific​ ​group​ ​of​ ​silk​ ​carpets.​ ​They​ ​were​ ​embellished​ ​in gold​ ​and​ ​silver​ ​and​ ​originated​ ​from​ ​Iran​ ​in​ ​the​ ​17th​ ​century.​ ​They​ ​are​ ​called​ ​“polonaise”​ ​because many​ ​of​ ​these​ ​rugs​ ​were​ ​shipped​ ​to​ ​Poland​ ​for​ ​the​ ​aristocracy​ ​to​ ​use​ ​as​ ​decoration​ ​and symbols​ ​of​ ​their​ ​wealth.​ ​In​ ​particular,​ ​the​ ​Count​ ​Czartoryski​ ​of​ ​Poland​ ​was​ ​among​ ​the​ ​first​ ​to exhibit​ ​them,​ ​and​ ​many​ ​of​ ​these​ ​rugs​ ​bare​ ​his​ ​coat​ ​of​ ​arms.​ ​The​ ​heavy​ ​ties​ ​these​ ​carpets​ ​have with​ ​the​ ​Polish​ ​aristocracy​ ​led​ ​to​ ​the​ ​common​ ​misconception​ ​in​ ​the​ ​nineteenth​ ​century​ ​that​ ​the rugs​ ​must​ ​have​ ​originated​ ​from​ ​Poland.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​now​ ​known​ ​to​ ​be​ ​false.​ ​The​ ​true​ ​origins​ ​of​ ​the polonaise​ ​have​ ​now​ ​been​ ​identified​ ​as​ ​Persian,​ ​most​ ​frequently​ ​from​ ​the​ ​cities​ ​of​ ​Isfahan​ ​and Kashan. Since​ ​these​ ​rugs​ ​are​ ​all​ ​centuries​ ​old,​ ​few​ ​of​ ​them​ ​still​ ​have​ ​their​ ​original​ ​coloring.​ ​When​ ​they were​ ​first​ ​made,​ ​the​ ​rugs​ ​were​ ​dyed​ ​with​ ​vibrant​ ​colors​ ​and​ ​accented​ ​with​ ​metallic​ ​threads, giving​ ​them​ ​a​ ​bright,​ ​flashy​ ​design.​ ​Due​ ​to​ ​the​ ​natural​ ​deterioration​ ​of​ ​the​ ​dyes,​ ​metal​ ​and​ ​silk, almost​ ​all​ ​polonaise​ ​rugs​ ​now​ ​have​ ​a​ ​more​ ​muted​ ​color​ ​scheme.​ ​The​ ​few​ ​polonaise​ ​rugs​ ​known to​ ​have​ ​weathered​ ​the​ ​centuries​ ​well​ ​enough​ ​to​ ​still​ ​have​ ​their​ ​original​ ​coloring​ ​are​ ​currently housed​ ​in​ ​museums​ ​scattered​ ​around​ ​the​ ​world. Historically​ ​these​ ​rugs​ ​were​ ​exported​ ​in​ ​mass​ ​outside​ ​of​ ​Persia,​ ​and​ ​were​ ​often​ ​brought​ ​to members​ ​of​ ​the​ ​ruling​ ​class​ ​of​ ​Europe​ ​by​ ​Persian​ ​ambassadors​ ​as​ ​diplomatic​ ​gifts​ ​from​ ​the Shah.​ ​Most​ ​of​ ​the​ ​surviving​ ​polonaise​ ​rugs​ ​were​ ​those​ ​very​ ​same​ ​ones​ ​that​ ​were​ ​gifted​ ​to​ ​the European​ ​aristocracy,​ ​who​ ​treasured​ ​these​ ​gifts​ ​and​ ​took​ ​care​ ​to​ ​preserve​ ​them​ ​as​ ​best​ ​they could​ ​over​ ​the​ ​last​ ​several​ ​centuries.