FETHIYE Vintage Kilim 265x140cm
Unique Nomadic Piece from the 1960s
This hand-woven vintage kilim comes from the Fethiye region in Southwest Anatolia. Crafted in the 1960s, it was woven not for sale, but for the weaver's own home – using wool from their own village, hand-spun and interwoven with what life meant: protection, connection, grounding.
Symbolism in fine Cicim embroidery
The delicate Cicim embroideries unfold a symbolic depth that goes far beyond mere decoration:
- Pıtrak (Burdock): Symbol of rootedness, resilience, and abundance
- Göz (Eye): Serves as protection, brings clarity and perception
- Su Yolu (Watercourse): Represents the flow of life, adaptability, and transformation
- Kurt Ağızı (Wolf's Mouth): Sign of vigilance and inner strength
These symbols carry woven wishes within them – quiet, powerful, and full of meaning.
Colors of Anatolian Nature
Camel, Terracotta, Turmeric, Pistachio Green, and Blue-Gray – a symphony of colors inspired by the light of Anatolia. The natural shades appear soft and grounded, with the warm glow of hand-selected wool and camel hair. Gently faded over time, the kilim bears that special patina that only life itself can create.
For Rooms with Depth
With its medium size, the FETHIYE kilim is wonderfully suited as a centerpiece in living, sleeping, or working areas. It brings character and tranquility to both modern and traditional rooms – whether as a rug, wall hanging, or cultural statement.
Restored & Sun-Cleaned
Like all our pieces, this kilim has been carefully restored and cleaned with olive soap and sunlight – a process that makes it shine again without erasing its history.
FETHIYE Vintage Kilim 265x140cm
Wild Heart Free Soul
Kastanienallee 55
10119 Berlin
Germany
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- Unique Vintage Rug - only one available!
- Material: 100% high-quality, hand-spun sheep's wool
- Workmanship: Hand-flatwoven 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: Fethiye, Anatolia
- Dimensions: 265cm x 140cm, Height: 3mm
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 symbolism.
This kilim, too, was woven in an Anatolian home – from the wool of their own sheep, shorn, washed, carded, and hand-spun. The dyeing of the yarns often took place with natural pigments from madder, reseda, walnut, or indigo – yet 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 in their tones the traces of a cultural transition: 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 for a long time in chests until they one day came to light again.
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 await the right restorer, the summer months to bathe in the sunlight – their silent transformation back into a living work of art.
A kilim from Wild Heart Free Soul is not a product.
It is a heritage. 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 rather the right kind of care.
We recommend gently vacuuming or beating the kilim once or twice a month to remove dust and dirt. Please do not use a rotating vacuum cleaner for this, but ideally a brush attachment or a gentle handheld device. Too frequent, intense vacuuming can tire out the fibers in the long run.
Every few months, it's worth turning the kilim over and vacuuming the back as well. Rotating the rug slightly once a year ensures even wear and maintains the balance in the weave.
For basic cleaning, we recommend professional handwashing 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 soaking. For stubborn stains, 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 – preferably with a steady hand and without haste.