ESME Vintage Kilim 131x80cm

• Unique Vintage Rug - only one available!
• Material: 100% high-quality, hand-spun sheep's wool
• Workmanship: Flat-woven by hand on a traditional wooden loom
• Age: Vintage / Semi-antique. Approx. 1960s
• Condition: Vintage in like-new quality due to extensive cleaning and restoration process
• Origin: Eşme, Anatolia
• Dimensions: 131cm x 80cm, Pile height: 3mm

Region of origin

Anatolia makes up the majority of modern-day Turkey. Carpets from this region are characterised 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, passed down from generation to generation in the form of weaving art.

Symbolism

In Anatolia, a variety of symbols and patterns were used in traditional kilims and carpets, with their origins in the Neolithic period. 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 feminine power. Other motifs represent wishes, 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, giving them multi-layered meanings. Thus, each carpet tells its own story in the form of woven poetry.

Manufacturing

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.

Afterwards, the yarn bundles were dyed in an elaborate, manual process with natural pigments or with alizarin dyes. Each individual shade of colour had to be dyed separately. By dyeing themselves, the weavers could let their creativity run wild and had control over the colouring; at the same time, the result was subject to a complex interplay of many factors, which always resulted in a play of colours with different nuances of a single shade. 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 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 manufacturing process often took several months, sometimes years, and was carried out either by a single weaver or by several women simultaneously. Grandmothers, mothers, sisters, other family members or neighbours 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 not only served 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 stories of times past 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 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 through 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 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. During 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.

Sunbathing and airing removes stubborn stains and discolorations, odours, moths and bacteria. 

Through this intensive and natural cleaning process, we can 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 town 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 discoloured 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 don't require a lot of maintenance, but they do require the right kind. We recommend that you regularly and carefully vacuum or beat your carpet to remove dirt and grime. It's sufficient to vacuum your carpet once or twice a month. Vacuuming too frequently can wear out the knots and fibers more quickly. If your vacuum cleaner has an upholstery attachment, use that instead of a rotating brush.

Every few months, you should flip your carpet over and vacuum the back to remove dirt from the underside of the carpet. It's 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 have it steam-cleaned or dry-cleaned – that will certainly damage the carpet! Choose a carpet cleaner that 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 cleaner, please feel free 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's dry. If necessary, you can dab with a very 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.