Chinese Hereke in pure silk | 183 x 123 cm | Nr. Z-1319

Floral Chinese Hereke in pure silk, dark blue with border and medallion

Origin	China
Dimensions	183 cm x 123 cm (= 2.25 m²)
Construction	hand-knotted
Material	Pile: pure silk Weft & Warp: pure silk
knots per m²2	810.000
Pile height	3mm
Year of manufacture	1980
Colour	Dark blue, colourful shades
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 framed by a surround (border). The border forms a splendid contrast to the centre.

At the heart of this Hereke's central field lies the symmetrical centre, also known as the medallion. The design of the field is subordinate to the medallion, so that the medallion appears to float on the field.

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 background of this Hereke is dark blue. The border is worked in cream white and a range of colours. In the centre, dark red and blue-grey are combined.

Condition

This Hereke has a story to tell. It was hand-knotted around 1980. We have cleaned it thoroughly and lovingly restored it. Despite its age, it is therefore in very good condition.

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.