The formation fields and consequences of the first World Carpet Exhibition in Austria

In the second half of the nineteenth century, coinciding with the extensive cultural and economic developments in the West, the first World Exhibition of Oriental Handmade Carpets was held in the Austrian Empire. Regarding to the importance of carpets in the political and economic life of Iran in that period, the purpose of this study is to identify the fields of formation and results of the exhibition and the position of Iranian handwoven carpets in the event. Documentary and historical studies showed that Iranian carpets had the first rank in quantity and quality aspects in this exhibition. The visual and aesthetic values ​​of these carpets promoted the research values ​​of Eastern and Iranian carpets among researchers and the founding of the Vienna School of Carpetology. The admiration of these carpets by critics and cultural elites led to the tendency of museums and art collections to buy and display Iranian carpets in the ranks of fine arts. The combination of these measures stimulated the demand for handwoven carpets among Western households and strengthened the production and exportation of Iranian carpets by multinational and Iranian companies