Kashmir rug | 337 x 244 cm | Nr. Z-2911

1.390,00 €

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Kashmir Rug

This rug in dusky pink and turquoise brings together traditional craftsmanship and timeless elegance. A knot density of approx. 360,000 knots per m² makes the painstaking workmanship visible – right down to the fine execution of the details. At 337 × 244 cm it is well placed as a large living-room rug. It is equally at home in the dining room beneath a table for six to eight. This one-of-a-kind piece brings individual character into a room and keeps its value far beyond short-lived trends.

Delivery time	2 days
Origin	Kashmir
Dimensions	337 cm x 244 cm (= 8.22 m²)
Construction	hand-knotted
Material	Pile: mercerised cotton Weft & Warp: cotton
knots	360.000
Year of manufacture	2010
Condition	pre-owned and cleaned
Edition	one-of-a-kind piece

Origin

The mountainous land of Kashmir in the Himalayas is divided: one third belongs to Pakistan as a province, while the other two thirds form the union state of "Jammu and Kashmir", which is part of India. The population of the larger union state is predominantly Muslim and seeks independence. The hand-knotted rugs come exclusively from the Indian part of Kashmir and are knotted mainly in the provincial capital Srinagar and the surrounding area. Kashmir's silk rugs are famous, and they are usually made on a cotton foundation.

The colours of Kashmir rugs are rather restrained, and the patterns are influenced by traditional Persian designs. This goes back a long way, as the Mughal emperors (1526-1857) once brought Persian rug knotters to their court in India. That is why people also speak of the Indo-Persian style. Another legend, however, has it that in 1398 the tribute-paying Sultan of Kashmir had to send his son as a hostage to Timur Lenk (Tamerlane) in Samarkand. There the young prince came to know the craft of knotting and, on his return, introduced it in Kashmir together with knotters from Samarkand.

Material

The pile of this Kashmir rug is made of mercerised cotton. Cotton consists of lustrous fibres filled with cell sap. As the cell sap dries after harvesting, the surface of the fibre curls and loses its sheen because of the way light is then refracted. In the mid-19th century, John Mercer invented the process that bears his name: mercerisation. During mercerisation, the cotton is held under tension in cold, concentrated caustic soda, where it takes on a new and finer fibre structure. Mercerised cotton has shortened fibres with a round cross-section. The refined fabric no longer shrinks and holds its shape very well. The altered refraction of light gives the fibre a silky sheen. Mercerised cotton also takes dye more readily and is considerably more tear-resistant than untreated cotton. Because mercerisation is laborious and costly, only high-quality cotton fibres are refined in this way. Thanks to the silky sheen of the yarn, mercerised cotton – like viscose – is often referred to as "artificial silk". That colloquial term is not permitted, however, under German textile labelling law (Textilkennzeichnungsgesetz, TKG).

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

Condition

You are not the first to take a liking to this Kashmir rug. It had owners before you who valued it and used it. It was knotted around 2010. It has been thoroughly cleaned and is in good but unrestored condition. There are a few faint stains, though they are hardly noticeable in the overall picture. The pile has grown thinner in places over the years. We have not restored this Kashmir rug, because we feel it has a special presence just as it is. If you would prefer otherwise, we will of course be happy to restore the rug for you. Either way, this Kashmir rug will give you pleasure for decades to come.

A note on the photos

The colours of this rug change depending on which side you look at it from. It all depends on whether the light falls with the nap of the pile or against it. That is why we have photographed the rug from several angles.

Child labour? No thanks.

Child labour? No thanks. Children belong in school, not at a knotting frame or a loom. For us it therefore goes without saying that we only offer rugs made under fair conditions and without child labour.

We attach particular importance to humane working conditions and tolerate no child labour at any of our producers. Thank you for helping us to ensure fair conditions.

That is why we support the initiative Care & Fair against child labour in the rug trade.