Hereke Silk

Hereke silk rugs count as the finest knotted works in pure silk and stand at the summit of Turkish rug art. They come from the former imperial court manufactory in the town of Hereke on the Sea of Marmara, which Sultan Abdülmecid I had founded in 1843 to make prestige rugs for the Ottoman palaces. Characteristic are an exceptionally high knot density, finely drawn floral court patterns and a deep, shifting silk sheen. They are knotted with the symmetric Turkish knot. As pure silk pieces, they form the most precious variant of the Hereke rugs and of Turkish silk rugs altogether.

What is a Hereke silk rug?

A Hereke silk rug is a hand-knotted rug from the town of Hereke in the Turkish province of Kocaeli, in which warp, weft and pile consist of pure natural silk. Precisely this distinguishes it from the woollen Hereke, which carries the same manufactory tradition but turns out coarser. The continuous silk construction allows for extreme fineness and a sheen no wool rug can reach.

The Hereke silk rug is knotted with the symmetric Turkish knot, the Ghiordes knot, as is characteristic for all of Anatolia. Despite this knot, the extreme fineness of the silk yarn allows highly detailed, curving pattern representation. The name Hereke is narrowly defined and stands for a clearly documented manufactory history, not for a collective term such as Hamadan.

Origin

Hereke lies in the Turkish province of Kocaeli, about 60 kilometres east of Istanbul on the Sea of Marmara. Rug production began in 1843 under Sultan Abdülmecid I, who had an imperial manufactory established there as part of the court workshops. It was to make exclusive rugs for the Ottoman palaces and for diplomatic gifts. Hereke was thus from the outset no grown village knotting area but a state luxury manufactory at the highest level.

In its heyday the manufactory employed a great number of weavers and supplied rugs for famous buildings such as the Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul and for European royal houses. The finest yarns and dyeings were processed, often on the basis of Persian and Ottoman court templates. The silk came traditionally from the nearby region of Bursa, an old centre of Turkish silkworm breeding. After the end of the Ottoman Empire, production was privatised, but it remained at the top level. To this day Hereke is the most prestigious knotting centre of Turkey, and pure silk pieces count as its crown. Related fine Turkish silk goods are also made in Kayseri in central Anatolia.

Patterns and colours

Hereke silk rugs show floral court patterns of the greatest fineness. Widespread are central medallion designs, continuous palmette and arabesque vines, stylised flower fields and prayer rugs with a finely drawn mihrab niche. Well known is the four-seasons and garden motif, which divides the field into compartments with flowers, birds and cypresses. Alongside, elaborate figurative depictions such as hunting scenes are made, which only the high knot density of silk makes representable. The extremely fine knotting allows curving contours and filigree details that would be impossible in coarser rugs.

The palette is harmoniously and nobly coordinated. Deep reds, blues and golds, beige, ivory and delicate pastel nuances dominate, often supported by shimmering accents. Characteristic is the shifting sheen of silk: depending on the angle of view and incidence of light, the effect of the colours changes, so that one and the same rug can appear completely different from two sides. Representative pieces occasionally also include metal threads in gold or silver.

Material and knotting technique

The Hereke silk rug consists entirely of high-quality natural silk: warp, weft and pile are worked in silk. This continuous silk construction gives the rug its extreme fineness, its low weight and its deep sheen. The silk comes traditionally from the Bursa region. More on the production and properties of the fibre is given in the silk study and in the general overview of materials.

The rug is knotted with the symmetric Turkish knot, also called the Ghiordes knot. This knot type is characteristic of Anatolia and thus also of Hereke; the use of the asymmetric Senneh knot occasionally claimed in the trade does not apply to Hereke. The pile is sheared very low so that the finest pattern details come out optimally. How the individual working steps from spinning through knotting to shearing proceed is described in the article on production. Because of the tiny knots, only a few square centimetres are made per day, so that the production of a fine piece can take months to years.

Knot density and quality

Hereke silk rugs are among the most densely knotted rugs in the world. The knot density begins at very high values and often ranges from 800,000 to over 2,000,000 knots per square metre, in absolute top pieces above that. This extreme density is the precondition for the filigree drawing and distinguishes genuine Hereke silk from coarser silk goods. How knot density bears on quality and price is treated in detail in its own article.

Quality features of a Hereke silk rug are an exceptionally even knotting, precisely drawn contours, a deep, shifting sheen and a balanced colour composition. Because of their renown, many genuine pieces carry a knotted-in signature of the master or the manufactory, often in the form of the Hereke initials, as well as a certificate. How such signatures can be read is explained in its own article. This labelling is also important because the name Hereke is often misused for imitations of art silk or of machine manufacture.

Feature	Expression in the Hereke silk rug
Knot type	symmetric Turkish knot (Ghiordes)
Knot density	approx. 800,000 – 2,000,000+ knots/m²
Material	pure natural silk for warp, weft and pile
Pile height	sheared very low
Typical patterns	floral medallions, prayer niches, garden and hunting scenes
Labelling	often knotted-in signature and certificate of authenticity
Weight	very light and thin relative to surface

What is a Hereke silk rug worth?

Hereke silk rugs belong among the most valuable hand-knotted rugs of all. The value depends on size, knot density, age, condition and signature. Small pieces already reach four-figure prices; larger or antique silk rugs can achieve five- to six-figure sums. Very high knot density, a documented origin and a credible master's signature significantly raise the value; pure silk is the basic precondition.

Because the name Hereke is often misused for inferior imitations of art silk, authenticity and material are decisive for purchase. Anyone wanting to buy or appraise will find orientation under why real rugs are expensive, in the value overview and in the buying guide.

How do you recognise a genuine Hereke silk rug?

Reliable indicators of a genuine Hereke silk rug are:

• Extremely high knot density: the back shows tiny, densely set knots and the pattern down to the smallest detail in mirror.
• Symmetric Turkish knot: Hereke silk uses the Ghiordes knot, not the asymmetric Senneh knot.
• Real silk sheen and shifting colours: the surface shimmers depending on the angle of light and changes its colour effect; the material feels cool, smooth and very light.
• Fine floral court patterns: curving palmettes, arabesques, medallions or hunting scenes rather than coarse geometry.
• Signature and certificate: many genuine pieces carry a knotted-in master's signature, verifiable via the signatures guide.
• Burn test: a loose fibre reliably distinguishes real silk from art silk; the method is explained in identifying silk.

Because imitations of art silk or of machine manufacture are widespread, density, material, pattern and signature should always be checked together. A step-by-step guide is given in Is my rug genuine?; the targeted material inspection in the article identifying silk.

Care

Hereke silk rugs are delicate and belong among the most demanding rugs to care for. They should only be vacuumed carefully and without a rotating brush, best with a nozzle attachment and a low suction setting. Direct sunlight bleaches the silk and should be avoided. Silk pieces do not tolerate heavy use and do not belong in heavily walked or damp rooms; as wall hangings or representative living-room rugs they are ideally placed. Stains and any thorough cleaning belong exclusively in the hands of a cleaner specialised in silk. Detailed notes are given in the care overview.