AFYON Vintage Kilim 315x208cm

• Unique Vintage Rug - only one available!
• Material: 100% high-quality, hand-spun sheep wool
• Workmanship: Flat-woven by hand on a traditional wooden loom
• Age: Vintage / Semi-antique. Circa 1960s
• Condition: Vintage in like-new quality due to extensive cleaning and restoration process
• Origin: Afyon, Anatolia
• Dimensions: 315cm x 208cm, Height: 3mm

Region of Origin

Anatolia constitutes the majority of modern-day Turkey. Carpets from this region are characterized by their indigenous, geometric patterns, featuring many symbols that reflect a traditional way of life in harmony with nature. This heritage represents 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 were used in traditional kilims and carpets, with their origins dating back to the Neolithic period. For thousands of years, 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 desires, such as for happiness and children, while some serve as protection against threats like wolves, scorpions, or the evil eye. Motifs were often combined when woven into patterns on kilims, resulting in multi-layered meanings. 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 to the 1970s. In the first step, the weaver sheared, washed, combed, 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 anilines. Each individual shade had to be dyed separately. By dyeing independently, the weaver could give free rein to her creativity and control the coloring. 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 color. 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 at the same time, 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 for passing 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. In particular, hand-spun wool has especially long fibers and a high content of lanolin (wool grease). 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 with careful use, becomes softer and shinier over the years. It is a material that ages beautifully, is absolutely environmentally friendly, and free of harmful substances. It has the ability to clean and regenerate itself, bringing warmth, a good indoor climate, and pleasant room acoustics to every home. In addition, sheep's wool and goat hair have the property of grounding our bodies and dissipating negative electrostatic charges. 

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

Cleaning and Restoration

The cleaning process of 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 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 city of Sultanahmet, each carpet is individually stretched into shape, and the ends are re-knotted using a special technique to prevent the weave from unraveling. Holes or discolored areas are rewoven to match the original. The complete cleaning and restoration process takes between six months and two years, depending on the kilim.

With loving treatment and careful maintenance, our kilims and rugs can last for many more generations. Our rugs don't require a lot of care, but they do need the right kind of care. We recommend that you regularly and carefully vacuum or beat your rug to remove dirt and grime. Vacuuming your rug once or twice a month is sufficient. Vacuuming too frequently can cause the knots and fibers to wear out more quickly. If your vacuum cleaner has a suction attachment, use this instead of a rotating brush head.

Every few months, you should flip your rug over and vacuum the back to remove dirt from the underside of the rug. It's 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 cleaning or dry cleaning – this will certainly damage the rug! Choose a rug cleaner who uses a 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 cleaner, please feel free to contact us. We work with trusted Oriental rug cleaners and restorers and can pass on discounted rates to our customers.

A stain, what now?
Blot the stain with a dry cloth until it's dry. If necessary, you can gently dab it with a slightly damp cloth and a little olive soap. Please do not wash your rug yourself. If the stain doesn't come out, immediately contact an Oriental rug specialist for cleaning. Adding a lot of liquid can make stain removal more difficult and even worsen the stain. 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.