Kayseri Silk

Even though we specialize in mostly modern carpets, kilims and textiles, we also feature a collection of exceptionally beautiful antique rugs that comprise our Antique Collection. It is reasonable, therefore, that each antique piece will be described individually for what it is. The city of Kayseri in central Turkey, has no real history of its own as far as tradition in carpet manufacture is concerned, therefore, there are no Kayseri designs as such. The reason though, why they became famous, is because in around 1900, a production was initiated aiming exclusively the international market. This meant that the designs chosen from the Persian, Indian and Turkish variety were the ones mostly in demand by the “western taste”, who at the same time, was looking for inexpensive copies of the original pieces. This lead to a huge production in the area and a vast design repertoire. During the same period, the Kayseri Silk rugs flourished, the best of which were competing with the normal Silk Herekes. This particular silk piece is a fine example of this early period, depicting 30 small prayer and medallion rugs superbly decorated. It also has a wonderful color combination and a very convenient size. It is a most decorative rug overall.