Antique Hereke Turkish Rug 1600

Hereke Rug, Turkey, Late 19th Century - Every floral rug is a garden of sorts, teeming with plants and fruits. But this one is a lush, tropical forest. Lotus palmettes and rosettes fill the spaces between the dominant element - circular arrays of curving sickle leaves adapted from the classical "Herati" design. The red and golden hues of the field contrast nicely against the main blue-ground border with its magnificent arabesque vine scroll. The finely proportioned detail of this border also sets off the large-scale forms of the field in a savvy opposition that helps to vary the overall density of the design.