Hand-knotted Hereke Oriental Rug in Silk, 130 × 81 cm

Hand-knotted: a Hereke rug measuring 130 × 81 cm. What makes a piece read as Hereke is the fineness of the drawing rather than any single motif. The stated density is 900,000-999,999 knots/sqm; over 1.05 m² that is roughly 1 million knots, an extremely fine weave, at the upper end of what a hand loom can hold. Pile 100% silk,, warp 100% cotton. Silk carries dye deeper than wool: the colours sit darker in shadow and brighter into the light. Small enough (130 × 81 cm) to place where the weave can be seen from close up. Proportion 1.6:1. This is the only example of this rug; when it is gone the size and drawing do not repeat.