Kayseri in pure silk | 148 x 101 cm | Nr. 17672

Floral Kayseri in pure silk, light blue with border

Origin	Turkey
Dimensions	148 cm x 101 cm (= 1.49 m²)
Construction	hand-knotted
Material	Pile: pure silk Weft & Warp: pure silk
knots per m²2	350.000
Pile height	2mm
Year of manufacture	1990
Colour	Light blue, Rust red
Edition	one-of-a-kind piece

Origin

Kayseri (Latin Caesarea, named in honour of the Roman emperor Tiberius) is the capital of the province of the same name, Kayseri, in Cappadocia in Turkey. Kayseri rugs (also Kaiseri rugs) are usually made of pure silk. They are highly valuable and decorative. Kayseri rugs are typically knotted in smaller sizes and used as wall hangings or prayer rugs.

Pattern

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.

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

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 background of this Kayseri is light blue. The border is worked in rust red and blue-grey.

Condition

This Kayseri has a story to tell. In places the pile of this piece is more heavily worn. There is also slight discolouration around the medallion. It was hand-knotted around 1990. We have cleaned it thoroughly and restored it with 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.