Oriental rug

Oriental carpet. Hereke carpet, established as an imperial factory in 1841 under Sultan Abdülmecid I. Production intended for the Ottoman palace (Dolmabahçe, Yıldız, etc.). Techniques & materials. Extremely fine knotting (up to 1,000,000 knots/m²). Pure silk or wool + silk. Traditional dyes, great precision in design. Patterns: the connection with the "garden". Hereke carpets are famous for their naturalistic floral motifs, very close to the aesthetics of the paradise garden: Garden motif (chahar-bagh): organised composition, pathways, flowers, sometimes ponds. Ottoman flowers: tulips, carnations, roses, hyacinths. Trees of life, scrolls, arabesques. A sense of symmetry and pictorial refinement, almost like a miniature. In good condition consistent with age.