Kayseri Silk Prayer Rug, ca. 1915
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GUEST:
It has been in my family forever. I know that one of my relatives was a Chinese importer.
APPRAISER:
Okay.
GUEST:
And the theory was always that it came over with him, but I don't know.
APPRAISER:
Well, it is a Turkish rug.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
It was woven in the town of Kayseri, which is in Central Anatolia. Kayseri is a prolific weaving center that has borrowed designs from both Persia and from other weaving centers in Anatolia. It's a prayer rug. It has a prayer design.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
And prayer designs are always directional. The niche of the prayer rug should be pointed towards Mecca...
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
...when the participant is praying, about five times daily.
GUEST:
Sure.
APPRAISER:
It has a very distinct horizontal delineation where the color changes.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
And you have any idea what that's about?
GUEST:
None whatsoever.
APPRAISER:
It's a condition that we call abrash, and they basically changed the dye lots while they were weaving this rug.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
And that's why you have this very direct, distinctive delineation of color. So, one thing about the rugs from Kayseri is, it's always debated as to whether the rugs are silk or Mercerized cotton. And Mercerized cotton is used in the trade, and they refer to it as art silk, which is short for artificial silk.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
And the only way that we can tell is to do what's known as a burn test.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
Which we will actually do now.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
And the trick is, if the fiber curls up into a small ball and does not hold the flame, it is real silk.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
If it does hold the flame, it will be Mercerized cotton. Here goes. Well, as you can see, it did not hold the flame.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
So, it's an actual silk Kayseri prayer rug.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
Woven circa 1915. In a retail store, silk prayer rugs such as this would sell for about $4,500.
GUEST:
Holy sweet henry, okay.
APPRAISER:
So, thank you so much for bringing it in today.
GUEST:
That's interesting. Thank you very much.
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