Turkmen Rug in Pure Silk | 155 x 117 cm | Nr. Z-2806

Geometric Turkmen rug in pure silk, light red with border and diamonds

Origin	Turkmenistan
Dimensions	155 cm x 117 cm (= 1.8135 m²)
Construction	hand-knotted
Material	Pile: pure silk Weft: cotton Warp: pure silk
knots per m²2	640.000
Pile height	4mm
Year of manufacture	1890
Colour	Light red, dark red
Edition	one-of-a-kind piece

Origin

This rug was knotted by members of the Turkmen tribes. The Turkmen are known above all for their Bukhara rugs. Bukhara (sometimes also written Bochara) is an oasis city in Uzbekistan that lies on the former Silk Road. Although no rugs were actually knotted in Bukhara itself, the city gave its name to many Oriental rugs, because they were traditionally exported to the West from Bukhara. These rugs, however, were knotted by Turkmen tribes such as the Yomoudh or the Tekke.

Pattern

The ornate border forms a wonderful contrast with the centre and shapes the transition at the edge of the rug.

The abstract, geometric composition is what gives this Turkmen rug its understated elegance. The pattern flatters the design of the room without drawing attention away from the furniture, the décor or the architectural features. It creates a pleasant atmosphere without dominating the style of the room.

In the pattern of this Turkmen rug it is the diamonds that stand out in particular. A diamond is a rhombus standing on one of its points, and in the Oriental rug its four equal sides may be serrated, outlined or set with hooks. The diamond is one of the oldest basic forms in the Oriental rug. In the Islamic world it carries a symbolic meaning: it stands for the immortality of the soul. That is why it is so often found as a filler motif.

The background of this Turkmen rug is light red. The border is worked in light red, dark red and black.

Material

The silk in the pile of this Turkmen rug makes the colours of the pattern glow in different shades, depending on how the light falls. It turns this Turkmen 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 made that stay strong despite their low weight. This fine yarn allows smaller knots to be tied and therefore finer patterns to be created. That is why the finest rugs in the world are hand-knotted from pure silk. The weft threads of this Turkmen rug are cotton. Pure silk was used for the warp threads.