The MATAM Foundation will be previewing two precious ancient carpets from its collection, destined for the Museum of Antique Textile Arts of Milan, at the Collections of Ancient and Modern Art and Antiques - 2009 edition exhibition, running from March 31 to April 5 at La Permanente in Milan.

These two unique very well-conserved artefacts are a preview of what will be displayed in the halls of the museum, set to open in 2011.

The first is an “Isfahan”, a Persian carpet dating back to mid-16th century, in the style of the court of the initial Safavid period, with figurative elements of struggling animals and mythological animals. The second is a “Cairo”, a sizeable Egyptian carpet in the Ottoman style, dating back to 1550-1575, with a medallion in the center and somewhat spherical lotus palm decorations, both in the body and in the borders.