'Franchetti Tapestry'

The use of designs including animals and mythical creatures was developed in the eastern Iranian lands in the 9th century AH / 15th century CE and constituted a typical decorative scheme during the Safavid period. This tapestry features the phoenix and the qilin, both deriving from Chinese patterns. The phoenix, a winged-lion with the head of an eagle, was used in post-Mongol Iran as a central motif and merged with the image of Simurgh, a bird of divine nature that encompasses features of all existing birds. The qilin, a deer-like creature is said to appear at auspicious moments in human history. Other creatures are depicted on this tapestry: the bird of paradise, a famous bird living only in New Guinea, and the animal-head mask, an imaginary pattern used to ward off evil spirits in popular beliefs.