ACIPAYAM Vintage Kilim 242x171cm

• Unique Vintage Rug - only one piece in stock!
• Material: 100% high-quality, hand-spun sheep's wool
• Craftsmanship: Flat-woven by hand on a traditional wooden loom
• Age: Vintage / Semi-antique. Approx. 1960s
• Condition: Vintage in like-new quality due to extensive cleaning and restoration process
• Origin: Acipayam, Anatolia
• Dimensions: 242cm x 171cm, Height: 3mm

Region of Origin

Anatolia makes up the majority of modern-day Turkey. Carpets from this region are characterized by their indigenous, geometric patterns – with many symbols reflecting a traditional way of life in harmony with nature. This is the legacy of an ancient, schematic culture of Turkic peoples, passed down from generation to generation through the art of weaving.

Symbolism

In Anatolia, a variety of symbols and patterns with Neolithic origins were used in traditional kilims and carpets. Over millennia, nomadic and village women have woven themes significant to their lives into their carpets. One of the main symbols is the figure of "Elibelinde," representing the Cosmic Mother and her creative feminine power. Other motifs represent wishes, such as for happiness and children, while others serve as protection against threats like wolves, scorpions, or the evil eye. Motifs were often combined when woven into patterns on kilims, acquiring complex meanings as a result. Thus, each carpet tells its own story in the form of woven poetry.

Production

Our vintage kilims and carpets were entirely handmade from the early 20th century up to the 1970s. In the first step, the weaver sheared, washed, carded, and hand-spun the wool from her own sheep and goats into yarn.

Subsequently, the yarn bundles were dyed in a complex, manual process using natural pigments or alanine dyes. Each individual shade had to be dyed separately. By dyeing independently, the weaver could give free rein to her creativity and had control over the color scheme. At the same time, the result was subject to a complex interplay of many factors, always resulting in a play of different nuances of a single hue. This shading in the yarn or in the finished kilim or carpet is called abrash. After the yarn was finished, the warp threads were stretched as tightly as possible over the warp beam of the wooden loom. Only then could the weaver begin weaving her kilim. Every motif, every symbol, every area was woven by hand with great love and patience until the finished kilim emerged, and its ends were knotted and often adorned with elaborately braided fringes. The production process often took several months, sometimes years, and was carried out either by a single weaver or by several women simultaneously. Thus, grandmothers, mothers, sisters, other family members, or neighbors often sat at a loom together, telling each other stories or singing songs while weaving. Weaving a kilim served not only for subsequent use; the entire process was a ritual, a ceremony, a form of meditation and prayer, an expression of the weaver's emotions, and a medium to pass on stories of past times in the form of woven poetry. 

Material

Wool is the most commonly used fiber in the production of Anatolian carpets. Not only is it abundant in Turkey, but it is also a natural and very high-quality material. Hand-spun wool, in particular, has especially long fibers and a high lanolin (wool fat) content. This makes it very durable, long-lasting, and antibacterial. 

Natural sheep's wool is a living material that, through the influence of sun, air, and water, and through careful use, becomes softer and shinier over the years. It is a material that ages beautifully, is absolutely environmentally friendly, and free from harmful substances. It has the ability to clean and regenerate itself, brings warmth, a good indoor climate, and pleasant room acoustics to every home. In addition, sheep's wool and goat hair have the ability to ground our bodies and dissipate negative electrostatic charges. 

These positive properties are particularly beneficial in large cities and when using electronic devices.

Cleaning and Restoration

The cleaning process for our vintage kilim carpets takes place cyclically and in harmony with nature. During the summer months, our carpets are first thoroughly washed with water and olive soap, and then further cleaned for up to three months on our "Kilim Field" in Antalya using the power of the sun.

Sun exposure and airing out remove stubborn stains and discolorations, odors, moths, and bacteria. 

This intensive and natural cleaning process allows us to completely avoid environmentally harmful chemicals or health-damaging moth repellents.

After sunbathing in Antalya, our kilims and carpets are mechanically dusted and then sent to Istanbul. In our atelier in the old town of Sultanahmet, each carpet is individually stretched into shape, the ends are re-knotted using a special technique to prevent the weave from unraveling. Holes or discolored areas are re-woven true to the original. The complete cleaning and restoration process takes between six months and two years, depending on the kilim.

With loving treatment and attentive care, our kilims and rugs can last for many more generations. Our rugs do not require a lot of special care, but they do require the right kind of care. We recommend that you regularly and carefully vacuum or beat your rug to remove dirt and grime. It is sufficient to vacuum your rug once or twice a month. Too frequent vacuuming can cause the knots and fibers to wear out faster. If you have a suction attachment on your vacuum cleaner, use it instead of a rotary vacuum.

Every few months, you should flip your rug over and vacuum the back to remove dirt from the underside of the rug. It is also helpful to rotate your rug once a year to ensure even wear.

We recommend having your rug professionally hand-washed every 3 to 5 years. Please do not take it for steam or dry cleaning – this will certainly damage the rug! Choose a rug cleaner who uses pH-neutral shampoo or olive soap for hand washing. The soap is worked into the rug by hand with a soft-bristled brush and then thoroughly rinsed out. If you have any questions or need assistance in choosing a rug cleaning service, please feel free to contact us. We work with trusted oriental rug cleaners and restorers and can offer our customers discounted rates.

A stain, what now?
Blot the stain with a dry cloth until it is dry. If necessary, you can dab with a very slightly damp cloth and a little olive soap. Please do not wash your rug yourself. If the stain does not come out, immediately contact an oriental rug specialist for cleaning. Adding a lot of liquid can make stain removal more difficult and even worsen them. This is because moisture spreads along the fibers and can get trapped in rugs with horizontal fibers (like flat weaves).

Dried food residues can be easily scraped off or brushed out.