Kilim Cushion Betül 60x40cm

The traditional and timeless patterns of Anatolia make our vintage cushions very special. They are the mystical symbols of a millennia-old nomadic tradition, intended to bless the home and its inhabitants with love, blessing, and protection. High-quality materials such as hand-spun sheep wool, goat hair, or cotton connect us with the energy of Mother Earth. This cushion cover was lovingly sewn in the Wild Heart Free Soul studio in Istanbul from a fragment of a hand-woven mid-century vintage kilim. The back is made of recycled cotton and features a high-quality zipper. The kilim was professionally cleaned before further processing; age-related wear and natural irregularities are unavoidable in unique, handmade vintage rugs.

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 yarns were often dyed with natural pigments from madder, weld, walnut, or indigo – but from the 1950s onwards, synthetic dyes increasingly found their way into the villages. The world became faster, more colourful – not every kilim remained purely vegetable-dyed. Many pieces from the 1960s and 1970s bear the marks of a cultural transition in their colours: 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, neighbour. Every knot, every line, every symbol carried meaning – protection, fertility, connection, strength. Symbols such as the eye (Göz), the cosmic mother (Elibelinde) or the scorpion became carriers of deep messages.

They were used, loved, passed on – and some of them slept long in chests until one day they came back into the light.

Today, we clean and restore these pieces with the utmost 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 do not rush anything. 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 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 mindfully, it can endure 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 your kilim once or twice a month to remove dust and dirt. Please do not use a rotating vacuum cleaner for this purpose; ideally, use a brush attachment or a gentle handheld device. Too frequent, intensive vacuuming can tire the fibers over time.

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 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, you can 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.