DENIZLI Vintage Kilim 240x60cm

Unique Vintage Kilim Rug: Limited Availability, Only One Piece Available!

• Material: 100% high-quality sheep's wool, carefully hand-spun.
• Manufacture: Artfully flat-woven on traditional wooden looms, a testament to true craftsmanship.
• Age: Vintage. Semi-antique. Approx. 1960s
• Condition: Carefully restored vintage rug, in like-new condition through professional cleaning and restoration processes.
• Origin: Denizli, Anatolia
• Dimensions: 240 cm length x 60 cm width, 5 mm thickness.

This rug is not just a piece of history, but also a work of art that lends a unique and culturally rich atmosphere to any room.

Region of Origin

Anatolia makes up the majority of modern-day Turkey. Rugs from this region are characterized by their indigenous, geometric patterns—with many symbols that reflect 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 origins in the Neolithic period were used in traditional kilims and rugs. Over millennia, nomadic and village women have woven themes into their rugs that are significant to their lives. One of the main symbols is the figure of "Elibelinde," which represents the Cosmic Mother and her creative feminine power. Other motifs represent wishes, such as for happiness and children, while others serve to protect against threats like wolves, scorpions, or the evil eye. Motifs were often combined when woven into patterns on kilims, acquiring multi-layered meanings. Thus, each rug tells its own story in the form of woven poetry.

Production

Our vintage kilims and rugs were completely 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 an elaborate, manual process with natural pigments or with alizarin 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; 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 rug 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 was created, and the ends of the kilim 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. Often, grandmother, mother, sisters, other family members, or neighbors would sit at the same loom, telling each other stories or singing songs together while weaving. The weaving of a kilim served not only for 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 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 rugs. Not only is it abundant in Turkey, but it is also a natural and very high-quality material. Especially hand-spun wool has particularly 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. A material that ages beautifully, is absolutely environmentally friendly, and free from harmful substances. It has the property of self-cleaning and regenerating, 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 charge. 

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

Cleaning and Restoration

The cleaning process of our vintage kilim rugs takes place cyclically and in harmony with nature. In the summer months, our rugs 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.

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

Through this intensive and natural cleaning process, we can completely avoid environmentally harmful chemicals or health-damaging anti-moth agents.

After sunbathing in Antalya, our kilims and rugs are mechanically dusted and then sent to Istanbul. In our atelier in the old town of Sultanahmet, each rug is individually stretched into shape, the ends are re-knotted with a special technique so that the weave cannot unravel. 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 careful maintenance, our kilims and carpets can last for many more generations. Our carpets don't require a lot of care, but they do need the right kind. We recommend that you regularly and carefully vacuum or beat your carpet to remove dirt and dust. Vacuuming your carpet once or twice a month is sufficient. Too frequent vacuuming can cause the knots and fibers to wear out more quickly. If you have a vacuum attachment on your vacuum cleaner, use it instead of a rotating vacuum head.

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

We recommend having your carpet professionally hand-washed every 3 to 5 years. Please do not take it for steam cleaning or dry cleaning - this will certainly damage the carpet! Choose a carpet cleaner who uses a pH-neutral shampoo or olive soap for hand washing. The soap is worked into the carpet by hand with a soft-bristled brush and then thoroughly rinsed out. If you have any questions or need assistance in choosing a carpet cleaning service, please do not hesitate to contact us. We work with trusted oriental carpet 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 is dry. If necessary, you can dab it with a slightly damp cloth and a little olive soap. Please do not wash your carpet yourself. If the stain does not come out, contact an oriental carpet specialist immediately 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 carpets with horizontal fibers (like flat weaves).

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