Silk Hereke Rug, Turkey, Circa 1970, 110cm x 70cm

Fine Silk rugs have been woven in Hereke, in North-West Turkey since 1841 when Sultan Abdulmecid 1 founded the Imperial Manufacture. After the imperial workshop closed in the 1920s, local entreprenuers opened workshops weaving silk rugs to very high standards, copying classical Persian and Ottoman designs. This production arguably reached its zenith in the 1960s and 1970s when famous weavers like Ozipek and Derin and Han were producing exceptionally fine pieces. This lovely rug fits into that period and dates to around 1970. It has the Hereke signature which one can see in the top right hand corner. The floral pattern is rendered so elegantly centred by a sapphire blue field with ivory spandrels, The rouge border is equally elegant and frames the composition beautifully. This is a perfectly balanced rug both in colour and design which would fit well into any number of decorative scenarios. Clean and in excellent condition.