Ten Minutes of Light: The Art and Science Behind the Ardabil Carpet Display
- Bev/Art Team
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Few museum displays express the balance between conservation and visitor experience as beautifully as the Ardabil Carpet at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
The solution was elegant in its restraint. In the Jameel Gallery, the carpet rests beneath a vast protective case, illuminated for only ten minutes every half hour. For most of the time, it lies in near darkness; then, the light slowly rises and visitors watch as deep blues and golds bloom back into view.
“Visitors gathered in anticipation, watching as the carpet transformed as the light levels increased … giving an extra sense of theatre to this superb artwork – a real win for the protection of the carpet and for its arresting display in the gallery,” says Boris Pretzel, former Head of Science at the V&A and now Heritage Science Advisor at Bev/Art.
The Ardabil Carpet itself is one of the world’s great masterpieces of textile art. It is composed of more than 5,000 knots per ten centimetres square and its intricate medallion, paired hanging lamps, and rippling natural dyes create a single, integrated design that covers its vast surface. When it entered the V&A in 1893, designer William Morris called it “singular perfection … logically and consistently beautiful.”
Before 1893, the carpet had already lived several lives. It once lay within the shrine of Shaykh Safi al-Din in Ardabil, where it was seen by British visitors in 1843. After an earthquake damaged the shrine, the carpet was sold to a Manchester firm and then to the V&A, where it became one of the museum’s most celebrated acquisitions. Its history is not just about art – it is also about centuries of care, stewardship, and changing ideas about how to protect what we value.
Displays like this one reveal what happens when conservation, access and experience work in harmony. Protecting an object’s material integrity does not have to diminish its emotional power; in the best cases, the science of preservation becomes part of the artistry of display.
This is the heart of preventive conservation. Light, humidity and temperature are carefully controlled, each adjustment a negotiation between safety and visibility. The Ardabil display embodies the philosophy of restraint as innovation. By limiting exposure rather than increasing barriers, the museum creates a sense of awe that also allows viewers to see the carpet as it was intended – full, luminous, and alive with color – without compromising its long-term survival.
“The display of the Ardabil Carpet, the world’s oldest dated carpet, is one of my favorite examples to reinforce the interconnectivity of science, user experience, time and budget, working in harmony,” continues Boris. “To protect its vivid, natural dyes from fading, we invested significant effort in researching how the different colours would change in time, using the results to devise a lighting strategy that simultaneously minimized rates of fading whilst ensuring the colours could be shown in their full glory.”
The result is dramatic. As visitors gather in the Jameel Gallery, they wait for the light to rise. The carpet seems to awaken – its colors shifting, its patterns coming into focus – until the room holds its breath at full illumination.
“The final solution involved illuminating the carpet for just ten minutes every half hour during opening hours – long enough for everyone to see the carpet but also short enough to allow for long-term display,” Boris explains.
Boris reinforces, “Good conservation solutions are often invisible and should not detract from the artwork. In this case the solution also enhanced how visitors experienced the art.”
The Ardabil Carpet continues to remind us that the intersection of science and art need not be a compromise. At its best, it deepens the encounter between people and art.
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More about the Ardabil Carpet
Title: The Ardabil Carpet
Date: 1539–1540 CE (946 AH)
Origin: Iran
Maker: Unknown; inscription signed “The work of the slave of the portal, Maqsud Kashani.”
Medium: Wool pile on silk foundation, natural dyes including pomegranate rind and indigo.
Dimensions: Approximately 10.5 x 5.3 meters
Design: Central medallion surrounded by pointed ovals and corner pieces, with two hanging lamps of different sizes. Ten-colour palette creating a subtle ripple effect from natural dye variation.
Museum number: 272-1893
Location: Victoria and Albert Museum, London, Jameel Gallery of Islamic Art