Spanish rugs

The earliest allusion to Spanish rugs was made by Edrisi, the Mohammedan geographer of the twelfth century. One of the oldest Spanish rugs in existence, belonging to the thirteenth or fourteenth century, is described at length by Dr. Sarre in his book and is used by him to show the relationship of Spanish design to that of Asia Minor, and the persistence through several centuries of certain patterns and of a distinctly Spanish technique of knotting. This carpet, called the Castle Carpet, is only a fragment but Dr. Bode believes it to have been at least four times as long as it was wide.

The field is pale pink, the borders dull blue and the colors in the pattern are not particularly harmonious. A slim tree, more like a pole, occupies the center of the field and stretches out gaunt horizontal arms from which hang castles like rigid blossoms. These form medallions of considerable size and frequency and are identical with one another.

They have high pointed roofs and ornate walls. Around the narrow border runs a continuous repetition of the sentence, "There is no God but God," written in the long strokes characteristic of Spanish ortho­graphy.