1. The Ardabil Carpet

The Ardabil carpet is the oldest dated carpet in the world. It is also one of the finest and most beautiful. The carpet was commissioned as one of a pair by the ruler of Iran, Shah Tahmasp, for the shrine of an ancestor in the town of Ardabil in north- west Iran.

In a small panel at one end, there is a text with the name of the man in charge of its production, Maqsud Kashani. The date of completion is also given: year 946 in the Muslim calendar, equivalent to 1539–40 in the western calendar.

The V&A bought the carpet in 1893 for £2500 on the advice of the designer William Morris, who admired Islamic design and recognized this as an exceptionally fine work.