Among the world's most coveted handwoven textiles, Hereke silk rugs represent the pinnacle of Turkish weaving tradition — an art form born in the imperial workshops of the Ottoman sultans and refined over centuries to astonishing perfection.
Imperial Origins
The Hereke workshop was established in 1843 by Sultan Abdülmecid I in the small coastal town of Hereke, on the Sea of Marmara. Originally founded to produce fabrics for the Ottoman court, the workshop soon expanded into carpet production, drawing master weavers from across the empire. The rugs were never intended for commercial sale — they were diplomatic gifts, palace furnishings, and treasures of state.
This particular piece exemplifies the art at its highest expression. Woven entirely in pure silk, it depicts three women in classical dress gathering grapes in an enchanted garden — a scene drawn from Ottoman interpretations of Persian miniature painting.
Extraordinary Knot Density
What makes this Hereke silk truly extraordinary is its knot density: 200 Raj — meaning 200 knots per 7 centimeters of width. At 28 × 28 knots per square centimeter (784 knots per cm²), each square inch contains over 5,000 individual hand-tied knots. This density allows for painterly detail that defies belief — facial expressions, the veins of individual leaves, the weave of each figure's flowing garments are all rendered with photographic precision.
Under magnification, the weaving reveals individual silk threads finer than human hair, each dyed to precisely calibrated colors. The effect at normal viewing distance is luminous — silk captures and refracts light in a way that wool never can, giving Hereke pieces their characteristic shimmering, almost liquid quality.
"At 784 knots per square centimeter, this is not weaving — it is painting with silk. Each knot is a brushstroke placed by hands that understood they were creating something eternal."
Specifications
| Material | 100% Pure Silk (warp, weft, and pile) |
| Origin | Hereke, Turkey |
| Size | 38 cm × 35 cm |
| Knot Density | 200 Raj — 28 × 28 knots per cm (784 / cm²) |
| Design | Three women gathering grapes — Ottoman figural |
| Presentation | Gold-leaf ornate frame with velvet matting |
A Collector's Crown Jewel
Hereke silks of this quality rarely surface on the open market. Most remain in palace collections, major museums, or the vaults of serious private collectors. The combination of imperial provenance, extraordinary knot density, and pristine condition makes this piece a genuine crown jewel of the Omid Ghibi collection.
To hold a Hereke silk is to hold something almost impossibly delicate yet engineered to last centuries. The contrast — fragile beauty backed by indestructible craftsmanship — is the very essence of the art.