Hereke made of pure silk
78 cm x 49 cm
Nr. 19186

Floral Hereke made of pure silk, terracotta with border and Medaillon

Place of origin

Very valuable silk rugs originate from the Turkish city of Hereke. The tradition was promoted by the art-loving Sultan Abd-ul-Medjid (reigned 1839 - 1861). In 1844, he had the court knotting workshops moved from Cairo back 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 square meter. Thanks to the knotting technique, the pattern is just as clearly visible on the back as on the front. Antique Turkish rugs fetch top prices in renowned art auction houses.

Typical motifs of the Hereke rugs include flowers, twigs 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. Besides traditional motifs and typical Ottoman or Turkish patterns, Hereke silk rugs are today knotted with more modern patterns to suit contemporary tastes. The characteristic colors of Hereke silk rugs are deep dark blue, bright red, vivid green, bright yellow and various natural tones in all nuances.

Patterns

The luxuriant flower motifs of this Hereke are elegant and varied. The graceful vegetative symbols representing flowers, leaves and branches are artfully intertwined.

The embellished edging (border) forms a excellent contrast to the center and creates a transition at the edge of the rug.

This Hereke is decorated with the so-called Mehrab or Mihrab motif. Mehrab refers to the Islamic prayer niche in mosques, which shows the direction of prayer qibla, i.e. the direction of Mecca. Traditionally, rugs with the Mehrab motif are used by Muslims for prayer and are therefore particularly treasured.

In the middle of the central field of this Hereke is the symmetrical center, also called medallion. The design of the field is arranged in such a way that it gives the impression that the medallion is floating on the field.

The background of this Hereke is off white. The colors terracotta and olive green dominate the overall impression. The border features terracotta and olive green.

Condition

This Hereke has a story. It was hand knotted about 1980. We have cleaned it thoroughly and restored it lovingly. Therefore it is in very good condition despite its age.

Material

The silk of the pile of this Hereke allows the colors forming the pattern to shine in different nuances depending on the lighting. It makes this Hereke a real jewel and creates a cozy and at the same time very elegant and premium atmosphere in the room. Silk is manually extracted from the cocoons of the silk moth. Since individual silk threads are extremely long, the result is very thin yarns, which are nevertheless tear-resistant under low stress. Smaller rug knots can be made with this thin yarn, which create finer patterns. Therefore, the finest rugs in the world are hand-knotted made of pure silk. In this Hereke even the background is made of pure silk. Due to the thin but durable material of the weft and warp threads, a particularly fine knotting and, therefore, a particularly fine pattern is feasible.