Indian Herati | 153 x 91 cm | Nr. 15-63304

Indian Herati

Delivery time	1-3 days
Dimensions	153 cm x 91 cm (= 1.39 m²)
Construction	hand-knotted
knots	130000
Edition	one-of-a-kind piece

Origin

The name Herati goes back to Herat, a city in north-western Afghanistan. The Herati pattern is a very traditional repeat pattern found in hand-knotted rugs.

This age-old pattern ensemble is made up of several individual elements. At the heart of a rhombus set on its point sits a flower (commonly read as a daisy), framed by four acanthus leaves twining around it. Stylised lotus blossoms crown the upper and lower points, a hint at a connection with China. The points at the sides run out into peonies. This blossom, also known as the farmer's rose, holds the place of queen of flowers in China and travelled west along the Silk Road.

All four sides of the ensemble are flanked by crescent-shaped, lance-like leaves, which are also read as fish (Persian “Mahi”). This is where the Persian name Mahi-to-hos comes from, which translates as “fish in the pond”.

The pattern of this rug is inspired by the designs of classic Indian Herati rugs. This particular rug, however, was knotted in India.

Exactly when rug production in India began is unknown. The first rugs in India were probably made during the cultural flowering of the Mughal dynasty in the middle of the 16th century. In the middle of the 19th century, with the decline of the Mughal dynasty, Indian rug production fell into crisis. European companies whose only aim was export to the West took the place of the traditional court manufactories. Very similar rugs were produced in different towns, and standardisation set in. Today, the designs of hand-knotted Indian rugs can scarcely be attributed to individual regions. Instead, the workshops have come to specialise in rendering European and traditional Iranian designs adapted to Western taste. In terms of quality, rugs from India benefit from the long tradition of craftsmanship and the high quality of Indian materials.