SILK RUGS

First examples of Turkish silk rugs belong to the 18th Century. Produced with silk yarn instead of wool, Turkish silk rugs are of a great variety in terms of both patterns and thickness.

The essence of the difference between Anatolian silk rugs woven at various centres in Anatolia and ‘silk crown rugs’ woven at Palace workshops can be attributed to ‘thickness’ as a feature arising from technique.

Thickness is the most important factor in the utilization of ornamental elements on rugs. The greater the thickness is, the easier it is to weave the motifs in a naturalistic and desirable manner, whereas motifs become completely abstract and geometrical as the thickness decreases.

Silk Anatolian Rugs;

These rugs reflect the same characteristics as those of woollen rugs woven in their respective regions. They are almost exactly the same in terms of thickness, patterns and colours with 9, 16 and 25 knots per cm².

The origins of Kayseri, Sivas, Bandırma and Uşak silk rugs are centres of woollen rugs at the same time.

Kayseri presents not only prayer rugs produced under the influence of Gördes motifs, but also rugs with small centrepieces and medallions. Dominant colours are cream, red, walnut green and pink. 

Prayer rugs with single or double altars are woven in Sivas.

Influences of both Gördes style and Kula woollen rugs are observed in Bandırma with rugs in dominant pastel colours. Silk rugs in Uşak are produced under the ornamental influence of silk crown rugs woven for the Palace, as well as the influence of Anatolian silk rugs.  

The common feature of silk rugs woven in Anatolia is the weaving in prayer rug style.  

Silk Crown Rugs;

In the 16th Century, a second group, namely Crown Rugs, was formed under ‘classical Ottoman rugs’. Within Turkish rug art, this group represents a new technique and wholly naturalistic floral patterns. These rugs were woven both inside and outside the Palace at workshops operated under the Palace’s orders. 

Crown rugs were initially woven in Persian (Iran) knot due to the difficulties posed by the style. Later, ^Turkish knot were used thanks to the durability of silk yarn and the means of technique. Thus, it was possible to reflect the pattern taste observed in other art forms of the period to rug art where such taste is rather difficult to apply in terms of technique. 

In this period, rugs were produced in line with the patterns drawn by the Palace’s muralists that formed the Ottoman crown style. These examples are the representatives in rug art of the union in style observed in fabric, carpet, ceramics and decoration products of the period. In the making of crown rugs, numerous rug designers reached higher artistic levels by reason of stylistic difficulties. 

In this period, rugs were produced in line with the patterns drawn by the Palace’s muralists that formed the Ottoman crown style. These examples are the representatives in rug art of the unity in style observed in decorative products.
In Ottoman crown rugs, the essence is a ground design extending to eternity (infinity princaple), while medallion patterns over the ground design are of second importance.

Today, the thickness of Turkish silk rugs is 100 knots per cm² (10x10). However, silk rugs of a thickness of 784 knots per cm² (28x28) were also produced. See. Hereke Rugs
With the effect of the number of knots per cm² and under the dominance of the naturalistic style, the Palace’s approach to decoration in crown rugs was applied with large leaves and such floral patterns as tulips, hyacinths, clovers, roses and rosebuds on twisted branches.

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