Hereke in pure silk with gold threads | 140 x 90 cm | Nr. 20587

Hereke in pure silk with gold threads

Delivery time	2 days
Origin	Turkey
Dimensions	140 cm x 90 cm (= 1.26 m²)
Construction	hand-knotted
Material	Pile: pure silk
knots	720.000
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 exquisite Hereke in pure silk with gold threads is accentuated by the use of gold threads. The gold threads create a shimmering, lustrous contrast and make the colours glow in warm nuances, 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 knotters.

Material

The silk in the pile of this Hereke in pure silk with gold threads makes the colours of the pattern glow in different shades, depending on how the light falls. It turns this Hereke in pure silk with gold threads 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 produced that are still tear-resistant despite their low weight. Fine yarn allows smaller rug knots to be tied and therefore finer patterns to be created. This is why the finest rugs in the world are hand-knotted from pure silk.

On this Hereke in pure silk with gold threads, even the foundation was made from pure silk. Because the weft and warp threads are of this fine yet hard-wearing material, an exceptionally fine knotting – and therefore an exceptionally fine pattern – becomes possible.

Condition

This Hereke in pure silk with gold threads has a history. In some places the pile has become a little thinner, though this only shows on very close inspection. It was knotted around 26. We have cleaned it thoroughly and restored it with care. Despite its age, it is therefore in very good condition.