Hereke in pure silk with gold threads | 116 x 74 cm | Nr. 18197

Floral Hereke in pure silk with gold threads, beige-yellow with border and signature

Origin	Turkey
Dimensions	116 cm x 74 cm (= 0.86 m²)
Construction	hand-knotted
Material	Pile: pure silk with gold threads Weft & Warp: pure silk
knots per m²2	990.000
Pile height	3mm
Year of manufacture	2000
Colour	Beige-yellow, olive green
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 depicted together with oil lamps. Alongside traditional motifs and typically Ottoman or Turkish patterns, Hereke silk rugs are today also knotted with more modern designs in tune with contemporary taste. Typical colours for Hereke silk rugs are a deep dark blue, a radiant red, a lively green, a luminous yellow and various natural tones in every shade. The pattern of this noble Hereke is accented by the use of gold threads. The gold threads create a shimmering, lustrous contrast and make the colours glow in warm shades, depending on how the light falls. The fine gold threads are not only precious but also extremely difficult to work with, and they underline the craftsmanship of the weavers. A signature and flowers typical of Hereke adorn the silk weft and warp of this Hereke silk rug.

Pattern

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.

This Hereke is adorned with the so-called Mehrab or Mihrab motif. Mehrab is the name for the Islamic prayer niche in mosques, which marks the qibla, the direction of prayer towards Mecca. Rugs with the Mehrab motif are traditionally used by Muslims for prayer and are therefore especially treasured.

The decorated surround (border) forms a wonderful contrast to the centre and shapes the transition at the edge of the rug.

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 beige. Beige-yellow and olive green also dominate the overall impression. The border is worked in gold-beige and beige.

Material

The silk pile of this Hereke makes the colours of the pattern glow in different shades, 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 silk moth. Because the individual silk filaments are extremely long, they can be spun into very fine yarns that are light in weight yet still tear-resistant. Fine yarn allows smaller knots to be tied, and with them more intricate patterns. That is why the finest rugs in the world are hand-knotted from pure silk.

The pattern of this noble Hereke is also accented by the use of gold threads. The gold threads create a shimmering, lustrous contrast. The fine gold threads are not only precious but also extremely difficult to work with, and they underline the craftsmanship of the weavers. 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 — is possible.