Berber rugs in ‘prayer design’ are not common. If found, they often appear very abstract and more than a glance may be required to find the typical elements characteristic to other, more traditional types of prayer rugs.
Below, is a Berber stylized rendition of a classic Ottoman prayer rug in the so-called ‘coupled column’ design as seen in the early 18th century Karapinar rug from Central Anatolia.
Bujaad rug (left) and Karapinar prayer rug (right)
Upon a closer look, the old Bujaad rug with a range of bright (neon-like) colors bears features often found in Anatolian prayer rugs from the city of Melas in westren Turkey.
A colourful Bujaad rug below, feautures a mihrab, a traditional element of prayer design. It is howeber, as befits Berber art, preseneted amids other symbolic motifs and in a completely assymetric arrangement.
Bujaad rug in our collection
The heavy influence of the Ottomans in North Africa (e.g. neighboring Algeria) left a tangible mark in Morooco consisting mainly of luxury objects imported to the country for the wealthy Moroccan families. Those of course include opulent carpets.
Carpet works sprang out in Rabat, the country’s capital, manufacturing replicas of Anatolian designs; a tradition that remained unchanged till today.
Berbers were not spared from the Anatolian influence but they adopted it only in part enriching their own aesthetic styles that pre-date not only the Ottoman’s presence in North Africa but Islam itself.
Berber prayer rugs, as utilitarian mats designated for praying, are rarely found in the Atlas. However, elements alluding to Islamic traditions do appear in Berber art; more often than not, dissociated from their religious significance.
‘Anatolian rugs represent an essential part of the regional culture, which is officially understood as the Culture of Turkey today, and derives from the ethnic, religious and cultural pluralism of one of the most ancient centres of human civilisation.’
Bergama rug, west Anatolia, first half of 18th century
Hereke rugs are among the most coveted collectibles; they are beautiful and expensive; and as any objet of great aesthetic value, imitable.
Hereke is a town that is not too far from Istanbul. It was the Otttomn Emperor Sultan Abdulmecid (1823-1861) who set up the original carpet factory in Hereke in 1843.
It is said that
only the best artists were brought here from the Persian city of Kerman to
share their skill and talent and produce the finest carpets for the imperial
palaces in the region.
Soon after the
collapse of the Ottoman Empire, a state-run school of carpet making was
established within the premises of the old Hereke Imperial Factory.
A number of reputable workshops sprang out in the town en
suite ensuring a steady supply of the finest silk rugs to the markets around
the world.
Small-format silk rugs with knot counts in excess of a million per a single square meter have become very popular among collectors and nearly a household name in home décor in the Western World .
The demand was high and so were the prices, a situation which inevitably gave rise to sub-industries.
Keyseri, a town in central Turkey, still produces well-made and rather inexpensive imitations of Hereke Ottoman designs in mercerised cotton.
China, of late, began producing extremely fine, high quality
copies of the same designs which ironically (owing precisely to the astounding
quality) have become collectible too; they are classified officially as Chinese
Herekes.
And of course, there are forgeries meant to capitalize of the
high value and popularity of the genuine rugs and deceive unsuspecting buyers.
There are however several unique features to the silk rugs from Hereke which are distinguishable enough to spare even an inexperienced buyer a substantial financial loss.
Hereke versus Keyseri
Most Hereke rugs are signed; Keyseri rugs almost never.
Most Hereke rugs feature abstract arabesque patterns; Keyseri rugs often feature realistic avian motifs.
All Hereke rugs are made of expensive natural silk; Keyseri rugs are made of inexpensive artificial silk which is actually mercerised cotton.
Signed Hereke and Keyseri (no signature)
Turkish versus Chinese Hereke
Most Turkish Herekes are signed; the signature typically, but not always, appears in the top right corner.
Most Chinese Herekes are signed HEREKE – هرك (the same genuine signature) but the cartouche-like trade mark tends to appear on the kilim part of the silk rug as opposed to the pile part as is the case with genuine Turkish Herekes. Herekes from a very reptable Ozipek workshop constitute an exception, more often than not, showing the Hereke Ozipek signature on the kilim part of the rug.
Turkish Herekes are extremely fine; Chinese Herekes seem finer, almost machine-made in their appearance.
Turkish Hereke Signed on pile/Chinese Hereke signed on the kilim part
Ozipek Hereke Signature
Ozipek Hereke Signature in contemporary Turkish (Latin) characters
A fake Hereke Ozipek which is part of the pile part of the rug
Some Hereke houses feature their names in signatures too.
Genuine versus Fake
There are a number of ways one can spot a fake and here are some:
Genuine Hereke is a silk on silk (all natural) rug; copies are often not.
Burn a small segment of the fringe to spot fake silk
Real silk will not burn. Instead, it will smoleder slowly and then the fire will die. Use more than one thread for more reassuring results.
Artificial silk will instantly flare up and burn very quickly.
Silk (left) and art silk (right)
Remember that most Herekes are signed quite discretely, only once. Some forgeries may feature more than one signature.
Hereke rugs have very fine double-layered Turckoman-like selveges; most fakes feature simple rolled hemming sides
Herekes will rarely feature realistic images (birds, etc); some forgeries may.
Simple rolled hemming on a Keyeri selvege
Delicate double-edge selvege finish on a Genuine Hereke rugs
All in all, when investing money in buying a silk Hereke rug, consult an expert if in doubt. If you are buying a decorative item, on the other hand, origin may not be very relevant; there are beautiful Chinese Herekes; there are beautiful Keyseris. However, buying a forgery harms the genuine industry.
A.G.
Post Scriptum
Some Herekes may display inscriptions from the Koran or Hadith
The cartouche (inscription) contains a Hadith attributed to Mohammed: ‘Those who pray shall enter the Paradise’ قال عليهم السلام من صلى البرديندخل الجنة
