Persian Rugs in the Levant circa 1444

From Charles Grant Ellis to Jon Thompson the understanding of rugs in the Levant is terribly muddled, Ellis with his theory of Para Mamluk rugs on up to Jon Thompson's theory of Tapedi Damascheni I find it an unintelligable mess. But no doubt part of that is I am not as smart as Ellis or Thompson. But if there is my one saving grace it is that I read a little more history then it would seem they did.

Jacques Coeur

While reading Levant Trade in the Middle Ages (Princeton Legacy Library Paperback – July 14, 2014) by Eliyahu Ashtor (Strauss)  there is a reference (Page 347-8) to the French merchant prince Jacques Coeur importing Persian Carpets from the Moslem Levant (Damascus) in 1444. What makes this important is that the citation is Thomas Basin,  (born 1412, Caudebec, France—died Dec. 3, 1491, Utrecht ) a contemporary of Jacques Coeur, Basin the bishop of Lisieux and Royal Counselor of his king Charles VII of France was in a position to have immediate and personal knowledge of where Coeur traded and for what. So would't it be wonderful if we could find a picture of one of Coeur's rugs. But that would be rather unlikely wouldn't it. 

Imagine my delight when I found Fra Carnavale's Jacques Coeur’s Annunciation , 1448, Munich. on Turkotek. 

 Detail of Jacques Coeur's Persian Rug

Fra Carnavale's Jacques Coeur’s Annunciation , 1448, Munich

There was a fun and wide ranging discussion on Turkotek where Filiberto Boncompagni first suggested that it might be a "European Renaissance textiles" and then when that did not seem to work he offered: "Could they be Spanish (Moorish) textiles? :confused:"

Pierre Galafassi who seems to be the one eyed man in the group speculated on: "Al Andalus silk brocade" and "Indian Peacocks" until he did mention "Il-khanid miniature below shows a peacock-feather motif ".
I guess that they never paid attention to the old adage that when you hear hoof-beats look for horses, not zebras. (Hmmm! was that Price who said that?)

This is Macée Coeur nee de Léodepart wife of Jacques. Please compare her to the woman in the Annunciation painting. I believe that they are the same woman. 

This is Jacques Coeur's home in Bourges.

This is from that home which has elaborate carvings, I want to dedicate this to the great guys at Turkotek for finding that picture even if they never knew what they had,