Rug With Bouraq Motifs Yemen Or Jordan Circa 20th Century

Polychrome carpet or wall hanging (Yemen, Jordan, Iraq) with a bouraq motif, probably a traditional wedding gift.
The nocturnal ascent of Muhammad on the mare Bouraq (miraj) is one of the most frequently depicted scenes in Islamic art. The Bouraq is, according to Islamic tradition, a fantastic steed from paradise, whose function is to be the mount of the prophets.

In Islamic art, the Bouraq is generally represented as a winged horse with the face of a woman and a peacock's tail. Its image changes over the ages, but the form represented in majority is that of a white winged horse with eagle wings, a woman's bust and a peacock's tail, clearly represented in this carpet. Around this character are palm trees, lions, women with swords, naked women with snakes coiled around them, flowers, jumping young girls, mosque this is a rare and interesting carpet. Some water smudges