Cream Oushak-Pattern Handwoven Wool Rug, Ottoman Series

Erzurum first-shearing oily fleece, blended with silk reeled from the cocoon, tied with the genuine Turkish knot: that is the whole specification of this Ottoman series rug, handwoven on looms in Diyarbakır and Erzurum.

01The tone of the ground

Cream and golden yellow through the ground, with real Oushak motifs given a contemporary reading. Production of the series has ended. The Turkish knot — the Gördes knot — wraps symmetrically around two warps, which is the construction Anatolian weavers have used for centuries and the reason a pile of this density stands upright rather than leaning.

02A line from the archive

Cream and gold keep the rug bright, and the Oushak drawing supplies the structure: medallion logic, wide intervals, a border that closes without crowding. Set on dark stone or dark boards, that contrast is what the piece is for. First-shearing fleece is the wool taken from a young animal, and it is brighter, softer and stronger than later clips from the same flock; blending it with silk from the cocoon gives a pile that holds a sheen without becoming slippery.

The series is finished — no more are being made — so what exists is what there is. That also means a damaged one cannot be matched. Keep it out of a direct window, and leave washing to a professional. Handwoven on looms in Diyarbakır and Erzurum, Türkiye. Erzurum first-shearing oily fleece blended with pure silk from the cocoon. Tied with the genuine Turkish knot, also called the Gördes knot. Cream and golden yellow, with authentic Oushak motifs read for a modern room. Strongest against dark stone or dark wood floors. Works with walnut furniture and with blue and green upholstery. The Ottoman series is out of production and cannot be matched. Professional washing; keep it out of direct sun. What is the Turkish knot? Also called the Gördes knot, it wraps symmetrically around two neighboring warp threads before the weft passes over them.

03From the hand of the weaver

It is the knot Anatolian weavers have used for centuries, and it is why a dense pile made this way stands upright rather than leaning. Can a second rug from the Ottoman series be ordered to match? No. The series has finished production, so what exists is what remains. A pair cannot be assembled after the fact, and a damaged piece cannot be replaced with an identical one from the same run. Collections that have closed tend to be judged more kindly than open ones, and this one will hold up to it.