Chinese Hereke in pure silk | 155 x 93 cm | Nr. Z-355

Floral Chinese Hereke in pure silk, multicoloured with border and signature

Origin	China
Dimensions	155 cm x 93 cm (= 1.44 m²)
Construction	hand-knotted
Material	Pile: pure silk Weft & Warp: pure silk
knots per m²2	1.000.000
Pile height	3mm
Year of manufacture	2100
Colour	bright colours
Edition	one-of-a-kind piece

Origin

The pattern of this rug is inspired by that of classic Hereke rugs. This piece, however, was knotted in China. The Turkish town of Hereke is home to very precious silk rugs. The tradition was encouraged 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 with a density 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 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.

Pattern

The edge of the rug is graced by a surround (border). The border forms a wonderful contrast to the centre.

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.

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 background of this Hereke is cream white. Overall, the rug glows in bright colours. The border is kept in bright colours.

Condition

You aren't the first to take a liking to this Hereke. It has had owners before you who valued it and put it to use. It was hand-knotted around 2100. It has been thoroughly cleaned and is in good, though only partly restored, condition. The fringes could do with a repair here and there. We haven't fully restored this Hereke, because we feel it has a special presence just as it is. If that's what you'd like, we're of course happy to carry the restoration further for you. We can bring almost any rug back to near-perfect condition.

Material

The silk of this Hereke's pile makes the colours of the pattern glow in different facets – 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 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 light in weight and still tear-resistant. The fine yarn makes it possible to tie smaller knots and thus to create finer patterns. 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. The fine yet hard-wearing material of the weft and warp threads allows for particularly fine knotting and therefore for a particularly fine pattern.