ESME Vintage Kilim 163x116cm

Unique Vintage Kilim Rug: Limited Availability, only one piece left!

• 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. Circa 1960s
• Condition: Carefully restored vintage rug, in like-new condition through professional cleaning and restoration processes.
• Origin: Eşme, Anatolia
• Dimensions: 163 cm Length x 116 cm Width, 5 mm Thickness.

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

Region of origin

Anatolia makes up most of present-day Turkey. Carpets from this region are characterised 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 were used in traditional kilims and carpets, which have their origins in the Neolithic period. For millennia, 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 stands for the Cosmic Mother and her creative female 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 they were woven into patterns on kilims, giving them multi-layered 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 to the 1970s. In the first step, the weaver sheared, washed, combed and hand-spun the wool of her own sheep and goats into yarn.

The yarn bundles were then dyed in an elaborate, manual process using natural pigments or alanine dyes. Each individual shade had to be dyed separately. By dyeing the yarn herself, the weaver could give free rein to her creativity 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 different nuances of one colour. This shading in the yarn or in the finished kilim or carpet is called Abrasch. 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 decorated 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 at the same time. 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 to pass on the stories of past times in the form of woven poetry. 

Material

Wool is the most commonly used fibre in the production of Anatolian carpets. It is not only abundant in Turkey, it is also a natural and very high-quality material. Hand-spun wool in particular has particularly long fibres and a high lanolin content (wool grease). 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 property of cleaning and regenerating itself, brings warmth, a good indoor climate and pleasant room acoustics to 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 prove particularly useful 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 using the power of the sun.

The sunbathing and airing removes stubborn stains and discolouration, odours, moths and bacteria. 

This intensive and natural cleaning process means we can 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 into shape, the ends are re-knotted using a special technique so that the weave cannot unravel. 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 and careful treatment, our kilims and rugs can last for many more generations. Our rugs don't require a lot of care, but they do need the right kind of care. We recommend regularly and gently vacuuming or shaking out your rug to remove dirt and grime. It's sufficient to vacuum your rug 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 that instead of a rotating brush.

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

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

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