Overview

Finishing:
The finishing of this carpet was done using centuries old traditional techniques. Once its laborious hand-knotting was completed, it was rolled and entirely submerged in a sanitizing bath where its fibers fully absorbed all cleaning liquid. After which it was laid flat on the ground where a team of cleaners used wooden oar-like paddles to push the water through its fibers and draw out impurities. Oar strokes were done in sync to prevent the carpet from getting torn. Each stroke tightened the knots even further. No machines were involved in its washing or drying.

Materials & Craftsmanship:
This fine, diligently hand-knotted area rug contains a perfect blend of 80% pure silk and 20% pure wool. Persian & Oriental rugs made from a high percentage of silk are intricate and are often the most valuable of all handmade carpets. The silk fibers in this piece create a beautiful sheen throughout the field and borders, providing an ultra luxurious feel. The use of silk ensures a precise rendering of the decorative design patterns since strong silk fibers permit skilled weavers to weave more knots per square inch (KPSI) than those of wool carpets. A typical Persian or Oriental rug made from wool might have between 100 and 300 KPSI – a typical 80% silk rug contains between 200 to 500 KPSI. As a result, weaving the rug will require roughly three times the amount of work, and this is one of the main reasons that silk rugs cost two to three times more than wool rugs. The detailing of this piece also contains wool, which increases its durability.

A Brief History of Millefleurs Rugs

Mille-fleurs (in French), known in English as millefleur or mille-fleur literally means a "thousand flowers" and refers to a background made of many small flowers and plants. It was an especially popular motif in tapestry and other applied arts and crafts during the Middle Ages in Europe. The term is also used to describe Oriental rugs with a similar design, originally Persian but later produced in much of the Middle East and Mughal India. The medieval European style may have been influenced by Persian miniatures or carpets.

The Mughal emperors Shah Jahan (1627-1658) and Shah Aurangzeb (1658-1707) had a great appreciation for this particular style and they commissioned their weavers to replicate these fine delicate motifs in the carpets that adorned their palaces throughout India. In 1730 the Persian Shah Nadir Quli (1688-1747) conquered parts of India and returned home with countless treasures, including textiles and Millefleurs carpets. This made a great impact on the decorative arts of Persia and the surrounding territories.

A "millefleurs" carpet has a bottom which is livened up with a motif of latticework; every containing alveolus is a flower. Certain specialists see an Italian origin in this décor which is also present in the Indian architectural decoration of the XVII^th century, and XVIII^th centuries, notably in nephrite rooms set by precious stones. Several carpets adorned with these compositions are endowed with a line of a multicolored silk chain, a characteristic of weavers from Lahore, Pakistan.

Sources and inspiration: Bérinstain, Valérie, et al. L'art du tapis dans le monde (The art of carpets in the world). Paris: Mengès, 1996. Print.; Jerrehian Jr., Aram K.A. Oriental Rug Primer. Philadelphia: Running Press, 1980. Print.; Herbert, Janice Summers. Oriental Rugs, New York: Macmillan, 1982. Print.; Hackmack, Adolf. Chinese Carpets and Rugs, Rutland and Tokyo: Tuttle, 1980. Print. ; De Moubray, Amicia, and David Black. Carpets for the home, London: Laurence King Publishing, 1999. Print.; Jacobsen, Charles. Oriental Rugs A Complete Guide, Rutland and Tokyo: Tuttle, 1962. Print.; Bashir, S. (n.d.). Personal interview.; Web site sources and dates of consultation vary (to be confirmed). Without prejudice to official usage.