The Zaleski Collection housed at MITA in Brescia

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The Zaleski Collection, assembled over more than fifty years by collector Romain Zaleski, comprises more than 1.300 antique carpets dating from the 15th to the early 20th century. This extensive collection, now housed at MITA (Museo Internazionale del Tappeto Antico – International Museum of Antique Carpets) in Brescia, Italy, is considered one of the most comprehensive private collections of its kind globally.

The collection features carpets from various regions, including Europe, North Africa, Persia, Asia Minor, the Caucasus, Central Asia, India, China, and Japan. The collection encompasses a wide range of carpet types, from large-format pieces designed for palaces and mosques to smaller prayer rugs, showcasing diverse decorative styles and motifs.

Examples of carpets from the Zaleski Collection

Holbein rug first half 16th century
Holbein rug, Anatolia first half 16th century
Holbein rug first half 15th century
Holbein rug, Anatolia first half 15th century
Holbein rug second half 15th century
Holbein rug, Anatolia second half 15th century
Ushak Tinteretto Anatolia early 16th century
Ushak Tinteretto Anatolia early 16th century
Lotto rug early 16th century
Lotto rug, Anatolia early 16th century
Cairene rug Egypt mid 16th century
Cairene rug Egypt mid 16th century
Damascus carpet second half 16th century
Damascus carpet second half 16th century
Isfahan carpet, Persia second half 16th century
Isfahan carpet, Persia second half 16th century
Ushak carpet, Anatolia second half 16th century
Ushak carpet second half 16th century
Kashan Salting second half 16th century
Kashan? Salting carpet, Persia second half 16th century
Konya rug, Anatolia second half of 16th century
Konya rug, Anatolia second half of 16th century
Alcaraz carpet Spain second half of 16th century
Alcaraz carpet Spain second half of 16th century
Transylvanian rug first quarter 17th century
Transylvanian rug, Anatolia first quarter 17th century
Transylvanian rug, Anatolia first half 17th century
Transylvanian rug first half 17th century
Azerbaijan carpet first half 17th century
Azerbaijan carpet, Cacasus first half 17th century
Yarkand East Turkestan second half 17th century
Yarkand East Turkestan second half 17th century
Peking rug China second half 17th century
Peking rug China second half 17th century
Karabagh early 18th century Azerbaijan
Karabagh early 18th century Azerbaijan
Arraiolos carpet Portugal early 18th century
Arraiolos carpet Portugal early 18th century
Eagle Kazak second half 18th century
Eagle Kazak, Caucasus second half 18th century
Khotan, East Turkestan second half 18th century
Khotan, East Turkestan second half 18th century
Lenkoran South East Caucasus second half 18th century
Lenkoran South East Caucasus second half 18th century
Rabat carpet Morocco first half 19th century
Rabat carpet Morocco first half 19th century
Kazak first half 19th century
Kazak rug, Caucasus first half 19th century
Kasim Ushak second half 19th century
Kasim Ushak, Caucasus second half 19th century
Gendje rug second half 19th century
Gendje rug, Caucasus second half 19th century
Chayli rug second half 19th century
Chayli rug, Caucasus second half 19th century
Kuba rug second half 19th century
Kuba rug, Caucasus second half 19th century
Avar rug second half 19th century
Avar rug, Caucasus second half 19th century
Abruzzo carpet Italy 19th century
Abruzzo carpet Italy 19th century
Karagashli rug third quarter 19th century
Karagashli rug, Caucasus third quarter 19th century

Notably, on February 8, 2025, the museum inaugurated the exhibition “The Arrival of the Mamluks – Mediterranean Carpets from East to West,” highlighting the cultural, artistic, and technical exchanges across the Mediterranean. This exhibition will be on display through 1 May 2025.

It follows previous showcases dedicated to Turkish carpets from Transylvania “Transylvanian Turks – The Strange History of Turkish Rugs in Transylvania,” which took place 26 October – 10 November 2024.

In 2008, Romain Zaleski established the Fondazione Tassara, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting culture, education, and social welfare. An achievement of the foundation is the acquisition and curation of the Zaleski Collection now housed at the MITA Cultural Center in Brescia. In 2023 Romain Zaleski received the Joseph V. McMullan Award for advancing the knowledge and appreciation of Islamic rugs and textiles.

Find more information on Fondazione Tassara’s official website about the Zaleski Collection.

Location: MITA (Museo Internazionale del Tappeto Antico) Via privata de Vitalis 2 bis – Brescia, Italy



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