Kashmir rug in pure silk | 138 x 136 cm | Nr. Z-2687

Kashmir rug in pure silk

Delivery time	2 days
Origin	Kashmir
Dimensions	138 cm x 136 cm (= 1.88 m²)
Construction	hand-knotted
Material	Pile: pure silk Weft & Warp: pure silk
knots	1.000.000
Year of manufacture	2000
Condition	pre-owned, but in very good condition (cleaned & restored)
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 silk pile of this pure silk Kashmir rug makes the colours of the pattern shine in different shades, depending on how the light falls. It turns this pure silk Kashmir rug 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 silk moth. Because the individual silk filaments are extremely long, very fine yarns can be made that are light in weight and still tear-resistant. 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 Kashmir rug in pure silk, even the foundation is made of pure silk. The thin yet hard-wearing material of the weft and warp threads allows for particularly fine knotting, and therefore for a particularly fine pattern.

Condition

This Kashmir rug in pure silk has a story to tell. It was knotted around 2000. We have cleaned it thoroughly and restored it with care. That is why – despite its age – it is in very good condition.