Antique Turkish Silk Hereke Rug BB6081 6'4" × 9'5" $14,000

This circa-1920 antique Turkish silk Hereke rug features a stepped lozenge field of multicolored shapes in black, beige, and red, among others, containing ornate floral imagery. The antique carpet has a muted patina characteristic of classic Oriental rug weaving. In the early nineteenth century, on the outskirts of Istanbul, the Hereke carpet workshop was established, becoming famous for producing exceptional, finely woven carpets of outstanding technical ability. These antique Turkish rugs often feature luxurious materials such as silk and metal-thread worked into designs, emulating the antique Persian carpets of the Ottoman and Safavid Court workshops. Hereke carpets typically are very large, palace sized carpets, with the precision of their double knots (Turkish or Ghiordes knots) allowing for a clear display of patterns. Today, Hereke carpets and antique area rugs are still made with the traditional patterns of the Ottoman sultan, Abdülmecid I, as well as both traditional Anatolian and contemporary figurative patterns.