TÜLÜ Angora Shaggy Rug 322 x 202cm

Anatolian, flat-woven kilim rug made from hand-spun sheep's wool. A unique vintage piece with collector's value!

Selected by Wild Heart Free Soul according to the highest quality standards, naturally cleaned with the power of the sun, and professionally restored.

Age-related patina and natural irregularities are characteristic of our handmade vintage rugs.

• Material: 65% hand-spun sheep's wool, 35% goat hair, highest quality
• Workmanship: Flat-woven by hand on a traditional, horizontal wooden loom
• Age: Semi-antique. Approx. 1960-1970
• Condition: Vintage in like-new quality due to extensive cleaning and restoration process
• Origin: Konya, Anatolia
• Size: 322 x 202 cm, Height: 4 mm

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 the life of a traditional way of life in harmony with nature. The heritage of an ancient, schematic culture of the Turkic peoples, which has been passed down from generation to generation in the form of weaving art.

Symbolism

In Anatolia, a variety of symbols and patterns, whose origins lie in the Neolithic period, were used in traditional kilims and carpets. For thousands of years, nomadic and village women have woven themes into their carpets that are significant to their lives. One of the main symbols is the figure of "Elibelinde," which represents the Cosmic Mother and her creative female power. Other motifs represent desires, such as for happiness and children, while others serve to protect against threats such as wolves, scorpions, or the evil eye. Motifs were often combined when woven into patterns on kilims, thus acquiring multifaceted meanings. Thus, each carpet tells its own story in the form of woven poetry.

Production

Our vintage kilims and carpets were made entirely by hand from the beginning of the 20th century until the 1970s. In the first step, the weaver sheared, washed, combed, and hand-spun the wool of her own sheep and goats into yarn.

Subsequently, the yarn bundles were dyed in an elaborate, manual process with pigments from nature or with aniline 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 coloring, but at the same time the result was subject to a complex interplay of many factors, and thus a color play of different nuances of a color always resulted. 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 to weave her kilim. Every motif, every symbol, every surface was woven by hand with much love and patience until the finished kilim was created and the ends of the kilim were knotted and often decorated 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 at the same time. Thus, grandmother, mother, sisters, other family members or neighbors often sat at a loom at the same time and told each other stories or sang songs together while weaving. The weaving of a kilim served not only for the purpose of subsequent use, but 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 the stories of times past 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, it is also a natural and very high-quality material. In particular, hand-spun wool has particularly long fibers and a high proportion 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 careful use, becomes softer and shinier over the years. A material that ages beautifully, is absolutely environmentally friendly and free of harmful substances. It has the property of cleaning and regenerating itself, brings warmth, a good indoor climate and pleasant room acoustics into 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 prove particularly beneficial 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. In 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 with the power of the sun.

Sunbathing and airing removes 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, the ends are re-knotted with a special technique so that the fabric cannot come loose. 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.

MATERIAL

Sheep's wool is a natural and very high-quality material. All our carpets are woven from hand-spun sheep's wool yarn, which consists of long hairs and has a very high lanolin (wool fat) content. This makes the wool particularly dirt-resistant, water-repellent, and antibacterial.

Sheep's wool is also a living material that becomes softer and shinier over the years through use and the influence of sun, air, and water. It is a material that ages gracefully, is absolutely environmentally friendly and free of pollutants, and cleans and regenerates itself.

CARE

With loving treatment and regular care, a Kelim from Wild Heart Free Soul will look as good as new even after many years of use. True Kelims thus outlast several generations.

Our Kelims don't require much care, but they do require the right kind of care. A Kelim should be vacuumed or beaten out regularly and carefully. Stains can almost always be cleaned with a slightly damp cloth. Dried food residues can be easily scraped off or brushed out.

A Kelim should not remain wet for a long time, as it can warp. Therefore, we do not recommend washing it yourself. If you feel the need to give your Kelim a wash, please contact a professional, trustworthy carpet cleaner or us. We offer all Wild Heart Free Soul customers discounted conditions for carpet cleaning and restoration.