Antique Kordi | 500 x 107 cm | Nr. Z-342

Antique Kordi

Delivery time	2 days
Origin	Kurdistan
Dimensions	500 cm x 107 cm (= 5.35 m²)
Construction	hand-knotted
Material	Pile: wool (hand-spun, natural dyes) Weft & Warp: wool
knots	120.000
Year of manufacture	1910
Condition	pre-owned, but in very good condition (cleaned & restored)
Edition	one-of-a-kind piece

Origin

Kordi (also Kord or Kurdi) is a collective term for rugs from Iran that are hand-knotted by Kurds. Koliai and Khorasan rugs are therefore, if you like, Kordi rugs too. As a rule, Kurdi rugs come from the Khorasan province. Less often they also come from the Turkmen-Afghan region.

In their rug knotting, the Kurds draw on every one of the classic provenances (source, origin). They don't copy the traditional patterns slavishly, though, but reinterpret them in their own distinctive way. The colouring in particular often departs considerably from the original patterns. That's why you'll find the most varied designs among Kordi rugs, though usually in a rather dark palette.

This antique Kordi is a collector's item. It is around 116 years old, and that alone makes it a truly special piece. Antique rugs such as this Antique Kordi are as sought after as ever and fetch top prices at renowned auction houses.

Material

The technique used to make the materials for the pile of this Antique Kordi is over 200 years old. The wool was dyed with natural dyes and spun by hand. Dyeing with natural or plant dyes is more complicated, more expensive and more time-consuming than dyeing with chemical colours. For a luminous red, for example, you need around one kilo of ground madder root as dyestuff per kilo of wool. For a strong yellow that is not too pale, you even need two kilograms of weld dye per kilo of wool. Spinning the wool is labour-intensive and time-consuming too. And fewer and fewer people still master the art of spinning wool by hand.

But the effort is worth it: dyeing with natural colours allows the high-quality wool to keep its natural oil content. Wool that has been dyed with natural colours and spun by hand creates fascinating, shimmering patterns. The charm of hand-spun wool, with its slight irregularities and natural shades, comes into its own as a contrast in modern interiors, but equally in rooms furnished in a more traditional or country style.

The foundation (weft and warp threads) of this Antique Kordi is made of new wool.

Condition

You are not the first to take a liking to this Antique Kordi. It had owners before you who valued and used it. The pile has grown a little thinner in places over the years. It was knotted around 1910. We have cleaned it thoroughly and restored it with care. That is why – despite its age – it is in very good condition.