Hereke Oriental Rug 107 × 170 cm, Silk, hand-knotted

Overview

A Hereke Oriental rug from China, measuring 107 × 170 cm. It covers approximately 1.82 m², or 3.5′ × 5.6′. Hereke, on the Sea of Marmara, was founded as an imperial manufactory in 1841 and remains the reference point for very finely knotted Turkish silk rugs.

Materials and construction

Stated material: silk, silk warp. The rug was knotted entirely by hand on the loom, which is why the surface is not mechanically even but carries the small irregularities that mark hand work. A silk pile changes tone with the angle of view: the same area reads lighter or darker as you move around it. The silk warp forms the carrying structure and sets how finely the rug can be knotted.

Format and use

The rug is rectangular. At this size the rug works as an accent — beside a bed, under a low table, or on a wall. In our size filter it is listed under approx. 150×100cm.

Fineness of the knotting

The stated knot density is 1,000,000+ knots/m². At this count the drawing can carry hair-fine outlines and gradual colour transitions; rugs in this range are workshop pieces rather than village work.

Age and condition

Stated age: 50 years or more. An old rug shows an evened, slightly lowered pile and the patina that only use produces; that is a mark of age, not of damage. The dominant colour range is red and orange. The piece is a one-off: in this combination of size, material, knot count and drawing it exists exactly once, and it cannot be reordered once sold.