DENIZLI Vintage Kilim 320x178cm
Sun-kissed unique piece from the 1960s
This hand-woven vintage Kilim comes from a small village near Denizli in Anatolia. Created in the 1960s – not for sale, but for the weaver's own home – it carries the soul of its maker.
Made from pure, hand-spun sheep's wool, it tells of a life in harmony with nature, the seasons, and the rhythms of communal everyday life.
Symbolism in delicate Cicim embroidery
Adorned with delicate Cicim embroidery, the Kilim unfolds its quiet spiritual depth through three meaningful symbols:
- Pıtrak (Burdock): A symbol of resilience, rootedness, and abundance – pure life force.
- Çengel (Double Hook): A symbol for the connection of opposites – balance in change.
- Göz (Eye): Protects, brings clarity, and wards off negative influences.
These signs are more than ornamentation – they carry woven blessings within them, powerful and quiet at the same time.
A play of colors with character
Brick red, saffron yellow, sage green, ash gray, and gray-blue – as if kissed by the sun, the plant-dyed tones appear soft and grounded. The gentle fading over decades gives the Kilim its special depth and calm presence.
For rooms with soul
With its generous size, this Kilim is ideal for open living areas – whether as a centerpiece in the living room, under the dining table, or to define a cozy living island. It brings character, warmth, and cultural depth to modern and traditional spaces alike.
Gently restored & sun-cleaned
Like all our pieces, this textile work of art from Wild Heart Free Soul has been carefully restored and naturally cleaned with the power of the sun.
DENIZLI Vintage Kilim 320x178cm
Wild Heart Free Soul
Kastanienallee 55
10119 Berlin
Germany
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- Unique – one of a kind, only one available
- Origin: Denizli, Anatolia, a region with a vibrant weaving tradition
- Era: Vintage / semi-antique – approx. 1960s
- Material: 100% hand-spun sheep's wool – natural & durable
- Technique: Hand flat-woven on a traditional wooden loom
- Condition: Excellent vintage quality due to careful restoration and natural cleaning
- Dimensions: 320 cm × 178 cm | Height: approx. 3 mm
Anatolian kilims are far more than mere textile utility items – they are woven memories, personal messages, and an expression of lived culture. For generations, women from nomadic tribes and villages wove their wishes, hopes, and stories into the fabric – freely, intuitively, and full of symbolic power.
This kilim was also woven in an Anatolian home – from the wool of their own sheep, shorn, washed, carded, and hand-spun. The yarns were often dyed with natural pigments from madder, weld, walnut, or indigo – but from the 1950s onwards, synthetic dyes increasingly found their way into the villages. The world became faster, more colourful – not every kilim remained purely plant-dyed. Many pieces from the 1960s and 1970s bear the traces of a cultural transition in their colours: between old and new, craftsmanship and modernity.
Weaving was a ritual act – accompanied by songs, stories, silence. Often several women sat together at the loom: mother, grandmother, sister, neighbour. Every knot, every line, every symbol carried meaning – protection, fertility, connection, strength. Symbols such as the eye (Göz), the cosmic mother (Elibelinde) or the scorpion became carriers of deep messages.
They were used, loved, passed on – and some of them slept for a long time in chests until they reappeared one day.
Today we clean and restore these pieces with the greatest respect: washed with olive soap, dried in the Antalya sun, repaired in our Istanbul studio.
Some pieces are with us for only a few months, others accompany us for years – because we never rush anything. Every kilim is restored with time, care, and respect. Some await the right restorer, the summer months, to bathe in the sunlight – for their silent transformation back into a living work of art.
A kilim from Wild Heart Free Soul is not a product.
It is a legacy. A woven wish.
And perhaps a companion for your home of tomorrow.
A kilim is a long-lasting companion – if treated with love and cared for mindfully, it can last for many more generations. It doesn't require elaborate care, but above all, the right kind of care.
We recommend gently vacuuming or shaking out the kilim once or twice a month to remove dust and dirt. Please do not use a rotating vacuum cleaner for this purpose; instead, ideally use a brush attachment or a gentle handheld device. Excessive, intensive vacuuming can tire out the fibers in the long run.
Every few months, it's worth turning the kilim over and vacuuming the back as well. If you lightly rotate the rug once a year, you ensure even wear and maintain the balance in the weave.
For basic cleaning, we recommend professional hand washing every 3 to 5 years – with pH-neutral shampoo or olive soap, gently worked in by hand and thoroughly rinsed. Please never put your kilim in dry cleaning or steam cleaning – this would damage the fibers. If you need assistance in choosing a suitable cleaner, we are happy to advise you. We work with experienced oriental rug specialists and are happy to pass on our special conditions.
And if an accident does happen: Dab fresh stains immediately with a clean, dry cloth. If necessary, carefully dab with a little olive soap and a slightly damp cloth – without rubbing, without soaking. For stubborn stains, please consult a professional directly. Liquid that spreads along the fibers can be permanently trapped, especially in flat weaves.
Dried food residues can usually be carefully scraped off or brushed out – ideally with a steady hand and without haste.