ESKISEHIR Vintage Kilim Rug 173cm x 107cm

• Unique Vintage Rug - only one available!
• Material: 100% high-quality, hand-spun sheep's wool
• Craftsmanship: 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: Eskişehir, Anatolia
• Dimensions: 173cm x 107cm, Height: 3mm

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 that reflect the life of a traditional way of life in harmony with nature. The legacy 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 with origins in the Neolithic period were used in traditional kilims and carpets. Over millennia, nomadic and village women wove themes that were important to their lives into their carpets. One of the main symbols is the figure of "Elibelinde", which stands for the Cosmic Mother and her creative feminine power. Other motifs represent wishes, such as happiness and children, while others serve as protection 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 from her own sheep and goats into yarn.

The yarn bundles were then dyed in an elaborate, manual process using natural pigments or alizarin dyes. Each individual shade of color had to be dyed separately. By dyeing independently, the weaver could let her creativity run free and had control over the coloring, but at the same time the result was subject to a complex interplay of many factors and thus always resulted in a play of different nuances of a 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 tautly 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. Thus, grandmother, mother, sisters, other family members or neighbors often sat at a loom at the same time, telling each other stories or singing songs together while weaving. The weaving of a kilim served not only for the purpose of subsequent use, but the whole 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 the stories of past times in the form of woven poetry. 

Material

Wool is the most commonly used fiber in the production of Anatolian carpets. It is not only 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 lanolin (wool grease) content. This makes it very hard-wearing, durable 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 ability to clean and regenerate 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 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. 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.

The sun exposure and airing removes stubborn stains and discoloration, odors, moths and bacteria. 

This intensive and natural cleaning process allows us to completely dispense with environmentally harmful chemicals or health-damaging anti-moth agents.

After sunbathing in Antalya, our kilims and carpets are mechanically dusted and then sent to Istanbul. In our atelier in the old town of Sultanahmet, each carpet is individually stretched, the ends are re-knotted with a special technique so that the weave 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.

With loving treatment and careful care, our kilims and carpets can last for many more generations. Our carpets do not require a lot of maintenance, but they do require the right kind of care. We recommend that you regularly and carefully vacuum or beat your carpet to remove dirt and grime. It is sufficient to vacuum your carpet once or twice a month. Too frequent vacuuming can cause the knots and fibers to wear out faster. If your vacuum cleaner has a suction attachment, use it instead of a rotating brush.

Every few months, you should turn 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 steam clean or dry clean it - 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. 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, now what?
Blot the stain with a dry cloth until it is dry. If necessary, you can dab with a slightly damp cloth and a little olive soap. Please do not wash your carpet yourself. If the stain does not come out, immediately contact an oriental carpet specialist for cleaning. Adding a lot of liquid can make stain removal more difficult and even worsen it. 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.