Keshan in pure silk | 204 x 126 cm | Nr. Z-4603

Floral Keshan in pure silk, dark blue with border and medallion

Origin	Persia
Dimensions	204 cm x 126 cm (= 2.57 m²)
Construction	hand-knotted
Material	Pile: pure silk Weft & Warp: pure silk
knots per m²2	480.000
Pile height	3mm
Year of manufacture	1910
Colour	Dark blue, rust red
Edition	one-of-a-kind piece

Origin

The central Persian city of Keshan (also written Kashan or Keschan) lies between the mountain slopes of the Zagros range and the Persian desert regions. Thanks to its climate and the caravans that crossed the country, it was – at least until the Safavids moved their seat of government to Isfahan – a flourishing metropolis, known above all for its fabric and rug production. To this day the city is shaped by the elegance and splendour of that era. Keshan rugs are artful textiles made in an age-old tradition. In Keshan, production traditionally took place in the weavers' own homes. The pile is typically knotted from extremely soft wool, which makes it particularly dense and compact.

Pattern

The edge of the rug is framed by a decorative border. The border forms a beautiful contrast with the centre.

The lush floral motifs of this Keshan are elegant and full of variety. The graceful plant forms, showing blossoms, leaves and branches, are artfully intertwined.

At the heart of this Keshan's central field sits the symmetrical centrepiece, also known as the medallion. The design of the field is subordinate to the medallion, so that the medallion seems to float on the field.

The overall impression is dominated by dark blue and rust red. The border is worked in dark blue and rust red.

Condition

This Keshan has had admirers before you. It was hand-knotted around 1910. It has been thoroughly cleaned and is in good but only partly restored condition. The pile is evenly worn. Parts of the border are missing on both sides. The rug has a tear 5 cm long. We haven't fully restored this Keshan, because we feel it has a special charm just as it is. If that's what you'd like, we'll of course be happy to carry the restoration further for you. We can bring almost any rug back to near-perfect condition.

Material

The silk in the pile of this Keshan makes the colours of the pattern shine in ever-changing facets, depending on how the light falls. It turns this Keshan into a real highlight 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 made that are light in weight yet still tear-resistant. This fine yarn allows smaller rug knots to be tied, and therefore finer patterns. That is why the finest rugs in the world are hand-knotted from pure silk. In this Keshan, even the foundation was made from pure silk. The thin but hard-wearing material of the weft and warp threads makes a particularly fine knotting possible, and with it a particularly fine pattern.