Chinese Hereke in pure silk | 152 x 92 cm | Nr. Z-690

Chinese Hereke in pure silk

Delivery time	2 days
Origin	China
Dimensions	152 cm x 92 cm (= 1.4 m²)
Construction	hand-knotted
Material	Pile: pure silk
knots	1.100.000
Condition	pre-owned, but in very good condition (cleaned & restored)
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 patterns, Hereke silk rugs are today also knotted with more modern designs suited to contemporary taste. Typical colours for Hereke silk rugs are a deep dark blue, a radiant red, a lively green, a luminous yellow and a range of natural tones in every shade.

The pattern of this rug is inspired by the pattern of classic Chinese Hereke rugs in pure silk. This rug, however, was knotted in China.

Material

The silk of the pile of this Chinese Hereke in pure silk makes the colours of the pattern glow in different nuances, depending on how the light falls. It turns this Chinese Hereke in pure silk into a real jewel and creates an atmosphere in the room that is cosy and at the same time very 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 still tear-resistant despite their low weight. This fine yarn allows smaller knots to be tied and therefore more delicate patterns to be created. That is why the finest rugs in the world are hand-knotted from pure silk.

With this Chinese Hereke in pure silk, even the foundation is made of pure silk. Thanks to the thin yet hard-wearing material of the weft and warp threads, a particularly fine knotting and therefore a particularly fine pattern is possible.

Condition

This Chinese Hereke in pure silk has a history. The pile is worn in places. The fringes could do with a repair. It was knotted around 26. We have cleaned it thoroughly and lovingly restored it. It is therefore – despite its age – in very good condition.