Kashmir rug in pure silk | 94 x 62 cm | Nr. Z-1999

Floral Kashmir rug in pure silk, dusky pink with border

Origin	Kashmir
Dimensions	94 cm x 62 cm (= 0.58 m²)
Construction	hand-knotted
Material	Pile: pure silk Weft & Warp: cotton
knots per m²2	360.000
Pile height	6mm
Year of manufacture	2005
Colour	Dusky pink
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.

Pattern

The decorated surround (border) forms a beautiful contrast to the centre and shapes the transition at the edge of the rug.

The lush floral motifs of this Kashmir rug are elegant and full of variety. The graceful plant symbols, depicting blossoms, leaves and branches, are artfully intertwined.

This Kashmir rug is adorned with the so-called Mehrab or Mihrab motif. Mehrab refers to the Islamic prayer niche in mosques, which marks the direction of prayer, the qibla, and thus the direction of Mecca. Traditionally, rugs with the Mehrab motif are used by Muslims for prayer and are therefore especially precious.

The background of this Kashmir rug is dusky pink. The border is worked in black and dusky pink.

Condition

You are not the first to take a liking to this Kashmir rug. It had owners before you who valued and used it. The pile is worn in places. It was hand-knotted around 2005. We have cleaned it thoroughly and restored it with care. Despite its age, it is therefore in very good condition.

Material

The silk of the pile makes the colours of this Kashmir rug's pattern shine in different nuances, depending on how the light falls. It turns this 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 silkworm. Because the individual silk filaments are extremely long, very fine yarns can be spun that are light in weight yet still strong. Fine yarn allows smaller 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. The weft and warp threads of this Kashmir rug are made of cotton. This versatile material is strong and elastic, which makes it particularly well suited to a hard-wearing foundation.