Hereke Pure Silk Oriental Persian Carpet 66" x 42" Start Price USD 2,500.00 Current Price USD 2,602.00 Time Left - Bid Count 2 Buy It Now Price USD 3,000.00 Reserve Price - Start Time Friday, June 27, 2008 End Time Monday, July 07, 2008 Location Stuart, Florida See more about 'Hereke Pure Silk Oriental Persian Carpet 66" x 42"' Description Pure Silk Hereke Carpet   Name / type : Hereke Category : silk on silk Area / City : Hereke Size : 50” x 78”       Includes Certificate of Authenticity and Guarantee with the following information:   Origin: Hereke Made In: Turkey Type of Knots: Double Knots Material: 100% Pure Silk Manufacture: 100% Hand-Made Company: Sirinoglu  Boutique, Istanbul, Turkey   HEREKE carpets, particularly those of pure silk, are considered the absolute finest throughout the world. Hereke carpets were exclusively manufactured for Sultans, palaces or mosques. Regarded as extraordinarily valuable and prized possessions, Hereke carpets were often given as gifts from Sultans to other great Kings, Emporers and rulers. Many of the finest and rare examples of Hereke rugs can be seen at the Dolmabahce and Topkapi palaces in Istanbul.   Traditionally, hand-woven kilim rugs were manufactured by young women, a custom passed on from mother to daughter. Young Turkish women, before marrying, would begin learning this tribal practice by weaving small rugs for their future husbands. Only when they became experienced artists were they allowed to work on larger pieces. Twenty-five years ago there were approximately 250-300 different regions in Turkey where young women were still producing these rugs. Sadly, this tradition is dying. Today there are no more 80 or 90 villages in Turkey producing these works of art and the young women no longer want to do the work. They have other opportunities that are better paying and are moving out of the villages.   What distinguishes Hereke carpets from other carpets?There are several features that distinguish Hereke carpets:     1. Origin - Genuine Hereke carpets are only made in Turkey.     2. Quality - Hereke carpets are recognized as the finest handmade carpets in the world. There are several reasons for this: Genuine Hereke carpets are 100% handmade. The fineness of knotting in Hereke carpets is superior.     3. Technique - Hereke carpets are only constructed using the Turkish double knot. The preparation of the loom in Hereke carpet production is different than other techniques worldwide.     4. Materials - Only the finest silk from Bursa is used in Hereke silk carpet production.          5. SILK ON SILK  (silk pile on silk warps and wefts): This is the most intricate type of carpet with very fine weave. Knot count for silk carpets intended for floor coverings is 100 knots per square cm, or 10 X 10 cm². This is a   very fine, intricately woven carpet that is stunningly beautiful and can be used as a wall hanging or tapestry.   100 KNOTS PER SQUARE CENTIMETER Their weaving technique, in which the finest threads and silk are employed, is what distinguishes Hereke products from other carpets. The ‘Gordes knot', which gives the Hereke its long life, is a technique known as 'double knotting', a technique which the Hereke masters invented following patient examination of all other carpets.Increasing the number of knots per square centimeter also meant a further refinement of detail in the motifs used, with the result that virtual works of art emerge of astonishing refinement with motifs that stagger the imagination. The number of knots per square centimeter in a silk Hereke carpet confounds the human mind: on average 10x10, in other words 100 knots! This means ten vertical times ten horizontal knots in every square centimeter, which are impossible to discern with the naked eye. An experienced master weaver takes at least one year to produce a single carpet consisting of a million knots. HOW MANY YEARS DOES IT TAKE A MASTER WEAVER TO COMPLETE A HEREKE SILK CARPET?     The normal average number of knots in Hereke wool carpets is 60x60=3600 knots/sq. dm The number of knots in a Hereke silk carpet is calculated according to the average number of knots in a square centimeter. The normal average number of square knots per centimeter for Hereke silk carpets is 10x10=100 knots/sq. cm. This means that there are 10 knots vertically (along the warp) and 10 knots horizontally (along the weft) for every centimeter. A Hereke silk rug one square meter in area, with 100 knots per square centimeter will have 1,000,000 (one million) knots. A skilled weaver can produce a carpet with 1 million knots in about a year. This carpet being 50” x 78” would have taken almost 3.5 years for the master weaver to complete.THERE'S NO MISTAKING THEM Hereke carpets continue to be preserved today. You see them adorning Ottoman and European palaces. Indeed, art lovers often judge the quality and richness of a collection by the number of Hereke carpets it contains. Perhaps there are fewer looms in use than before, but one thing never changes: "There is no compromising of quality," the Hereke carpet-makers assure us. Gracing floors, tables and sometimes even walls like a painting. These are Hereke carpets, made at Hereke by the Hereke technique. Their guarantee lies in their past." The inspiration and purpose are always the same: a shared taste. Obliterating boundaries, the taste for Hereke's has survived for generations. And we can surmise that master weavers and art lovers will keep it alive for many more centuries to come.   Hereke carpets can be identified by their signature in a corner of the finished piece. This signature helps authenticate the carpet as an original Hereke masterpiece. The presicion of their double knots (Turkish or Gordish Knots), which allow the clear display of patterns, the colour combination and the harmonious patterns endear them to the art lovers and collectors all over the world as an artwork. Today the Hereke Carpets and rugs are made with the old traditional patterns of the Ottoman Sultan Abdulmecid I. as well as with traditional Anatolian patterns and with patterns of the contemporary sense. Even today the Hereke Carpets are the finest carpets of the world and a rug of silk in warp, weft and knot is always knotted with a density of no less than 1.000.000 knots per square meter, which means 100 knots per square centimeter (1 square centimeter = 0,155 square inch). The pure silk carpet uses silk from Bursa. The silk Hereke carpets has from 1.0 to 1.2 million knots per square meter. The knot density in the highest quality wool carpets is any where between 360,000 to 400,000 knots per square meter. In second quality wool carpets the knots are around 250,000 to 300,000 per square meter. The dominant colors in Hereke carpets are dark blue, cream and cinnamon and occasionally yellow and green are used. The treditional floral designs are common and each design has its own name, such as, Seljuk Star, Seven Mountain Flowers, Ploneise, 101 Flowers, and Tulip. The flowers in the design and the harmony of colors add warmth to a home. In this density a master weaver is not able to produce more than 3,000 knots a day. Therefore they are counted to the most valuables carpets.   PERSONAL SELECTION   I personally selected this fine Hereke carpet by searching many carpet galleries in the Turkish Bazaar. I consider it to be one of the finest examples of Turkish craftsmanship. It combines the best silk, the best dyes and over 100 stitches per square cm. The carpet is beautiful and rich in color. The dyes are strong and deep with no fading. Light plays an important factor in the appearance of silk carpets. Two people looking at the carpet from opposite directions will see different shading of the colors. In some of the photos this can be seen. The photos with the ruler are of the front and back of the carpet and show the details of the stitching. The carpet will last many lifetimes and always show its beauty.   With your purchase of this fine Turkish hand-woven rug, you will be bringing a piece of history, culture and beauty from the orient into your home...     Buy safely from an Ebay seller with a solid reputation! Prompt shipping by UPS to United States and Canada. Flat shipping cost of $125 for continental USA and $175 for International. Insurance Included. Place a Bid!