Description
Hereké silk carpet with metallic threads Silk warp, weft and pile Western Turkey, circa 1900 380 x 260 cm (slight wear) This exceptional carpet, finely knotted, is adorned with a large central polychrome double medallion on an ivory background enhanced by an elegant polychrome stylized floral decoration. The whole composition is decorated with four spandrels. A wide border old rose with garlands of multicolored flowers is framed by numerous counter-borders. The carpet has two signatures in cartridges. "Hereke is a small town in Turkey on the shores of the Gulf of Izmit. In 1844, when the Ottomans had to abandon Egypt, they transferred the large looms of the Cairo factories to Hereke. Hereke, closer to Istanbul, seemed the ideal place to continue Cairo's own textile tradition of superb carpets for the local aristocracy or European ambassadors. Indeed, a year earlier, in 1843, a very large silk mill, the Imperial Silk Factory, was inaugurated in Hereke. From the beginning, the carpets of Hereke were considered as prestigious pieces for their and the quality of the material used, silk and precious metal threads. The silk thread used for the entire carpet allowed for exceptional fineness of knotting." Bibliographic reference: Sabahi, T "Splendors of the carpets of the East", Atlas edition, p.211.
380
Hereké silk carpet with metallic threads Silk warp, weft and pile Western Turkey, circa 1900 380 x 260 cm (slight wear) This exceptional carpet, finely knotted, is adorned with a large central polychrome double medallion on an ivory background enhanced by an elegant polychrome stylized floral decoration. The whole composition is decorated with four spandrels. A wide border old rose with garlands of multicolored flowers is framed by numerous counter-borders. The carpet has two signatures in cartridges. "Hereke is a small town in Turkey on the shores of the Gulf of Izmit. In 1844, when the Ottomans had to abandon Egypt, they transferred the large looms of the Cairo factories to Hereke. Hereke, closer to Istanbul, seemed the ideal place to continue Cairo's own textile tradition of superb carpets for the local aristocracy or European ambassadors. Indeed, a year earlier, in 1843, a very large silk mill, the Imperial Silk Factory, was inaugurated in Hereke. From the beginning, the carpets of Hereke were considered as prestigious pieces for their and the quality of the material used, silk and precious metal threads. The silk thread used for the entire carpet allowed for exceptional fineness of knotting." Bibliographic reference: Sabahi, T "Splendors of the carpets of the East", Atlas edition, p.211.
