Mr. "Chris" -

The term "bare spots" may seem clear but could be ambiguous. It's difficult
telling what you are seeing.

Hereke rugs are generally high quality silk pile weavings. They have a
structure composed of warps (vertical) and wefts (horizontal). On this
grid are tied symmetric knots each around two ajoining warps. These knots
cut off on their ends form the pile of the rug. Wefts go over and under the
warps between rows of knots.

Now if this is the sort of piece you are looking at then "bare spots" would
ordinarily be understood to be places where the pile knots are missing or
worn down so that the underlying warps and wefts are visible. So the dealer
should be saying that the "bare spots" are the result of MISSING knots, and
it is true that this can occur in handwoven carpets but would be unusual in
machine woven ones which have pile but not usually individual knots of the
sort described above.

Bare spots of this sort are defects in such a rug. Their presence should
affect the price. it is also possible to have such bare spots repaired.
That could be expensive but many Turkish reweavers are doing simply amazing
work now.

Anyway, if these "bare spots" affect your enjoyment of this rug, but you
still want it, talk to the dealer about what price adjustment he/she can
make.

Real Herekes (they are being faked but that is a separate question) are
expensive. Get your money's worth.

Regards,

R. John Howe


----- Original Message -----
From: "reformschooler" <yahoo@...>
To: <rug-fanatics@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, May 18, 2004 8:19 PM
Subject: [rug-fanatics] Are small bare spots in Hereke rugs flaws?


> My wife and I are considering the purchase of a Hereke rug. It has
> numerous small bare spots in one end. The dealer tells us these are
> caused by knots and that they are the result of the fact that the rugs
> are handmade. We counted 18 bare spots, most very small but some up to
> 1/4 inch long, in a 2'x3' section. They are not visible when you look
> at the rug while standing but are quite visible if you look at it
> while sitting on a couch.
>
> Are such bare spots common or should we keep looking?
>
> -- Chris
>
>
>
>
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