DENIZLI Vintage Kilim 265x163cm
Village Kilim from Denizli Province
This handwoven vintage kilim comes from a small village in the West Anatolian province of Denizli. Crafted in the 1960s – not for sale, but as a cherished part of the weaver's own home. The wool came from the village, hand-spun, dyed with natural materials, and woven with memories, protective thoughts, and family symbols. The rare three-panel technique ("Üç Kanatlı") reflects care, balance, and deep craftsmanship.
Symbolism in delicate Cicim embroidery
The delicate Cicim embroideries unfold a symbolic depth that goes far beyond mere decoration:
- Yıldız (Star): Represents light, guidance, and inner destiny
- Pıtrak (Burdock): Symbol of rootedness, resilience, and abundance
- Küpe (Earring): Sign of connection, closeness, and self-preservation
- Göz (Eye): Serves for protection, brings clarity and perception
- Çengel (Hook): Expression of cohesion, connection, and balance
- Su Yolu (Waterway): Embodies the flow of life, mobility, and transformation
- İm (Family sign): The weaver's signature – an expression of identity, origin, and pride
These signs carry woven messages within them – quiet, powerful, and full of meaning.
Colors of Anatolian Nature
Saffron yellow, copper orange, garnet red, lavender gray, cinnamon brown, ebony, natural white, brick red, and corn gold – a symphony of colors like light and earth. The harmonious stripes evoke the stillness of early mornings, the warmth of the day, and the passage of time. The patina tells a story of a life lived – tangible, authentic, and full of character.
For spaces with depth
With its generous dimensions of 265 × 163 cm, the DENIZLI Kilim is ideal as a central element in open living areas, studios, or entryways. As a floor rug or wall hanging, it brings structure, warmth, and a palpable connection to the rural artisan tradition of Anatolia into the room.
Restored & sun-cleaned
Like all our pieces, this textile artwork from Wild Heart Free Soul has been carefully restored and naturally cleaned with the power of the sun. This preserves its history – and keeps its radiance alive.
DENIZLI Vintage Kilim 265x163cm
Wild Heart Free Soul
Kastanienallee 55
10119 Berlin
Germany
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- Unique – only one ever made and available
- Origin: Village in the province of Denizli, Western Anatolia
- Era: Vintage / approx. 1960s
- Material: 100% very fine, hand-spun sheep wool (Warp: Cotton)
- Technique: Flat woven with fine Cicim embroidery in three-panel technique
- Condition: Carefully restored, excellent vintage quality
- Dimensions: 265 cm × 163 cm | Height: approx. 3 mm
Anatolian kilims are far more than 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, too, was woven in an Anatolian home – from the wool of their own sheep, shorn, washed, combed, and hand-spun. The dyeing of the yarns often used natural pigments from madder, reseda, walnut, or indigo – but from the 1950s onwards, synthetic dyes increasingly found their way into the villages. The world became faster, more colorful – not every kilim remained purely plant-dyed. Many pieces from the 1960s and 1970s bear the traces of a cultural transition in their tones: between old and new, craft and modernity.
Weaving was a ritual act – accompanied by songs, stories, silence. Often, several women sat together at the loom: mother, grandmother, sister, neighbor. Every knot, every line, every symbol carried meaning – protection, fertility, connection, strength. Symbols like the eye (Göz), the cosmic mother (Elibelinde), or the scorpion became carriers of deep messages.
They were used, loved, passed down – and some of them slept long in chests until they one day came back to light.
Today, we clean and restore these pieces with the greatest respect: washed with olive soap, dried in the sun of Antalya, repaired in our Istanbul atelier.
Some pieces are with us for only a few months, others accompany us for years – because we rush nothing. Every kilim is restored with time, care, and respect. Some wait for the right restorer, for the summer months to bathe in the sunlight – for their silent re-transformation 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 attentively, 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; ideally, use a brush attachment or a gentle handheld device. Too frequent, intense vacuuming can tire out the fibers over time.
Every few months, it's worthwhile to turn the kilim over and vacuum the back as well. Rotating the rug slightly once a year ensures even wear and maintains the balance in the weave.
For deep 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 saturating. For stubborn dirt, please consult a specialist directly. Liquid that spreads along the fibers can become 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.