Kayseri in pure silk | 107 x 68 cm | Nr. 12778

Floral Kayseri in pure silk, pink with border and signature

Origin	Turkey
Dimensions	107 cm x 68 cm (= 0.73 m²)
Construction	hand-knotted
Material	Pile: pure silk Weft & Warp: pure silk
knots per m²2	560.000
Pile height	3mm
Year of manufacture	1980
Colour	Pink, cream white
Edition	one-of-a-kind piece

Origin

Kayseri (in Latin Caesarea, named in honour of the Roman emperor Tiberius) is the capital of the province of the same name in Cappadocia, Turkey. Kayseri rugs (also written Kaiseri rugs) are usually made of pure silk. They are very valuable and highly decorative. Kayseri rugs are typically knotted in smaller formats and used as wall hangings or prayer rugs. A signature and the flowers so typical of Hereke adorn the silk weft and warp of this Hereke silk rug.

Pattern

This Kayseri is adorned with the so-called Mehrab or Mihrab motif. Mehrab is the name for the Islamic prayer niche in mosques, which shows the direction of prayer, the qibla, in other words the direction of Mecca. Traditionally, rugs with the Mehrab motif are used by Muslims for prayer and are therefore particularly precious.

The edge of the rug is framed by a surround (border). The border forms a splendid contrast to the centre.

The lavish floral motifs of this Kayseri are elegantly drawn and full of variety. The graceful plant symbols, depicting blossoms, leaves and branches, are artfully intertwined.

A special highlight of this Kayseri is its signature. The signature documents that it was made in one of the most renowned knotting workshops in Kayseri. Set in Arabic script, it expresses the individual character and the noble origin of this rug.

The ground of this Kayseri is pink. The border is worked in cream white and pink.

Condition

This Kayseri already had admirers before you. It was hand-knotted around 1980. We have cleaned it thoroughly and restored it with great care. Despite its age, it is therefore in very good condition.

Material

The silk of this Kayseri's pile makes the colours of the pattern glow in ever-changing nuances, depending on how the light falls. It turns this Kayseri into a true jewel and creates an atmosphere in the room that is cosy and at the same time highly 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 tear-resistant. Fine yarn allows smaller knots to be tied and therefore more intricate patterns to be created. That is why the finest rugs in the world are hand-knotted from pure silk. In this Kayseri even the foundation is made of pure silk. Thanks to the thin but hard-wearing material of the weft and warp threads, a particularly fine knotting and therefore a particularly fine pattern are possible.