Indian Herati | 352 x 260 cm | Nr. Z-4346

Indian Herati

Delivery time	2 days
Origin	India
Dimensions	352 cm x 260 cm (= 9.15 m²)
Construction	hand-knotted
Material	Pile: wool
knots	120.000
Condition	pre-owned, cleaned & partially restored
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.

Material

The pile of this Indian Herati was hand-knotted from high-quality new wool. New wool is obtained by gently shearing sheep. New wool is a renewable, natural raw material with a range of impressive properties: thanks to the natural lanolin content of the wool, the surface repels droplets of water and is thus naturally protected against dirt. Wool also offers excellent thermal insulation, helps regulate the indoor climate and dampens sound.

The weft and warp threads of this Indian Herati are made of cotton. This versatile material is tear-resistant and elastic, which makes it particularly well suited to a hard-wearing foundation.

Condition

This Indian Herati has a story to tell. It was knotted around 11. It has been cleaned thoroughly and is in good but only partly restored condition. The edges are damaged in places. We have not fully restored this Indian Herati because we feel it has a special presence just as it is. If you would like us to, we will of course carry on restoring the rug for you. We can bring almost any rug back to near-perfect condition.