Talish rugs are works of the ethically Persian Talish people inhabiting territories in north-west Iran and Azejberjan, formerly Talish khanate.
Talish people speak their own language, and in the context of the Caucasus, they constitute a distinct group with a complex history; their works are as distinct as their ethnicity.
Talish long runner-like (wedding) rugs are perhaps the most recognizable within the large spectrum of all Caucasian rugs, but Talish rugs come also in more traditional forms. Only a closer look at the material and the construction may allow experts to tell a Talish from rugs from Kazak, or Genje
While the field (the so-called Talish) is most of the time plain, some Talish rugs feature complex floral patterns framed by the usual four borders.
A rare Talish in our collection
The 19th century Talish rugs are nearly all wool constructs; the wefts (side to side cords), are, more often than not double, made of cotton, usually grey.
The warps (up
and down cords) consist of two twisted plies of undyed beige (yarn) and brown wool.
The selvages are often
blue overcast on the typical Caucasian double-step cord finish.
The knot is symmetrical
(Ghiordes)
Antique Talish rugs are rare; some are erroneously attributed to other Caucasian schools, they are highly collectable.
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
