Old Hereke in pure silk | 124 x 76 cm | Nr. 18196

Floral old Hereke in pure silk, dark blue with an all-over pattern, central medallion and border

Origin	Turkey
Dimensions	124 cm x 76 cm (= 0.94 m²)
Construction	hand-knotted
Material	Pile: pure silk Weft & Warp: pure silk
knots per m²2	1.000.000
Pile height	3mm
Year of manufacture	1970
Colour	Dark blue, Beige
Edition	one-of-a-kind piece

Origin

Very valuable silk rugs come from the Turkish town of Hereke. The tradition was fostered by the art-loving Sultan Abd-ul-Medjid (reigned 1839 - 1861). In 1844 he had the court workshops moved back from Cairo to Hereke. Hand-knotted Hereke silk rugs are among the finest rugs in the world and are knotted at densities of up to 6 million knots per m². Thanks to the knotting technique, incidentally, the pattern is just as clearly visible on the back as it is on the front. At renowned art auction houses, antique Turkish rugs fetch top prices.

Typical motifs on Hereke rugs are flowers, branches and leaves as well as birds, the tree of life and the so-called Mehrab or Mihrab pattern, a prayer niche shown together with oil lamps. Alongside traditional motifs and typically Ottoman or Turkish designs, Hereke silk rugs are today also knotted with more modern patterns in tune with contemporary taste. Typical colours for Hereke silk rugs are a deep dark blue, a radiant red, a lively green, a luminous yellow and various natural tones in every shade. This old Hereke is around 50 years old and a real collector's piece. The signature "HEREKE" and a number are knotted into the weave of this silk rug.

Pattern

The lavish floral motifs of this Hereke are elegant and full of variety. The graceful plant symbols, depicting blossoms, leaves and branches, are artfully intertwined.

The decorated surround (border) forms a beautiful contrast to the centre and shapes the transition at the edge of the rug.

The repeating pattern (known as a repeat pattern) flatters the design of the room and does not steal attention from the furniture, the décor and the architectural elements. It creates a pleasant atmosphere without dominating the style of the room. In this Hereke the repeating elements find their centre in the middle of the field, with its symmetrical medallion.

A special highlight of this Hereke is its signature. The signature records that it was made in one of the most renowned weaving workshops in Hereke. Written in Arabic script, it speaks of the individual character and the noble origins of this rug.

The ground of this Hereke is dark blue. The border is worked in dark blue, light blue and dark red. In the dark red centre, olive green and blue-grey are combined.

Material

The silk of this Hereke's pile makes the colours of the pattern glow in ever-changing nuances, depending on how the light falls. It turns this Hereke into a real highlight and creates an atmosphere in the room that is cosy and at the same time highly elegant and refined. Silk is obtained by hand from the cocoons of the silkworm. Because the individual silk filaments are extremely long, very fine yarns can be spun that are light in weight yet still tear-resistant. Fine yarn allows smaller knots to be tied and therefore more intricate patterns to be created. That is why the finest rugs in the world are hand-knotted from pure silk. In this Hereke even the foundation is made of pure silk. Thanks to the thin but hard-wearing material of the weft and warp threads, a particularly fine knotting and therefore a particularly fine pattern are possible.