The silk trade, as with other areas of art production such as ceramics, was a highly controlled industry.  Every aspect of the production of silk cloth was regulated.  The patterns used, the number of knots per unit and the colors used, were all watched carefully.
 

Gift giving was important part of Ottoman protocol and the gifting of a robe of honor was particularly significant.  This ceremonial robe shows the vibrant colors and large designs used to decorate clothing for special honors.

 

The study of Turkish carpets is an interesting example of how the Ottoman Empire bridged both the east and west.  Paintings from the Renaissance Period (14th and 15th centuries), in Italy and Northern Europe, often show Ottoman carpets.  For example, French Ambassadors, by Hans Holbein the Younger, depicts two wealthy men standing in front of a table with a Ottoman textile on the table behind.  Sometimes the subject is even Christian, depicting the Virgin Mary in a setting with Ottoman textiles.  Here Christian subject matter meets Muslim export.  In addition, these European paintings help date carpets through the patterns that were used.  Since patterns were controlled by the government, it is easy to isolate them to specific time periods and rulers.

 

The large-pattern, Holbein carpets were named for the European painter who frequently included carpets of this design in his works.  The typical characterstics are the use of large octogons as the central pattern, bordered by small octogons, and framed within a pseudo-Kufic (a type of calligraphy) inscription.

The Ushak carpets became popular under Mehmed (r.1444-8).  Here the medallions dominate the design.  These carpets are also much larger than earlier ones.  To produce such big rugs required a greater investment on the part of the ruler as more money was necessary to pay for the materials and also to buy the equipment for the larger size carpets.