A new installation has opened at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto, spotlighting the 15th-century Spanish ‘Holbein’ carpet from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. On view from 21 July 2026–21 February 2027, this spotlight loan presents a woven masterpiece from one of North America's oldest and most renowned collections of Islamic art.
This carpet belongs to the ‘Holbein’ group of weavings, named for their appearance in paintings by Hans Holbein the Younger (ca. 1497–1543) and by other European artists. Originally produced in western Anatolia and traded widely across Europe, this carpet type inspired local adaptations beyond its place of origin.
Small-pattern Holbein carpet, Spain, 15th century. Museum of Fine Arts Boston, 39.614
This particular piece was made in southeast Spain. There, Muslim weavers adapted eastern Mediterranean designs to local traditions, pursuing their craft even in the 13th century after the region came under Christian rule.
