Description
The motif is also called the badge of Timur (Turco-Mongol conqueror,1336—1405) or the ball and lightning pattern. The Chintamani appeared in rug design in the period of Selim “The Grim” (the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1470 to 1520) and thereafter became widespread in Asia Minor, presumably as a symbol of rulership and power.
The “mani” in the sense of free from stain also signifies purity.
