Hereke in pure silk with gold threads | 96 x 65 cm | Nr. 18421

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

Origin	Turkey
Dimensions	96 cm x 65 cm (= 0.62 m²)
Construction	hand-knotted
Material	Pile: pure silk with gold threads Weft & Warp: pure silk
knots per m²2	490.000
Pile height	3mm
Year of manufacture	1990
Colour	Beige, dark red
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 various natural tones in every nuance. The pattern of this fine Hereke 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. This piece bears a signature that translates as "Hereke", the place where this rug was made.

Pattern

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 ornate border forms a wonderful contrast with the centre and shapes the transition at the edge of the rug.

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 beige. The border is worked in beige and cream white.

Material

The silk of this Hereke's pile makes the colours of the pattern glow in different nuances, depending on how the light falls. It turns this Hereke into a true 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 made that remain tear-resistant despite their light weight. This fine yarn allows smaller rug knots to be tied and therefore finer patterns to be created. 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.