Kilim Cushion Ilkay 50x50cm

The traditional and timeless patterns of Anatolia make our vintage cushions truly special. They feature 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 like hand-spun sheep's 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 Midcentury vintage Kilim. The back is made of recycled cotton and features a high-quality zipper. The Kilim was professionally cleaned before processing; age-related wear and natural irregularities are inevitable in unique, handmade vintage rugs.

Anatolian kilims are far more than textile utility objects – 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 was also woven in an Anatolian home – from the wool of their own sheep, shorn, washed, carded, 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 colorful – not every kilim remained purely vegetable-dyed. Many pieces from the 1960s and 1970s bear the traces of a cultural transition in their hues: between old and new, craftsmanship 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 such as 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 long in chests until one day they came to light again.

Today, we clean and restore these pieces with the utmost respect: washed with olive soap, dried in the Antalya sun, repaired in our Istanbul studio.

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 careful maintenance, it can outlast many generations. It doesn't require elaborate care, but rather 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 rotary vacuum cleaner for this; instead, ideally use a brush attachment or a gentle handheld device. Too frequent, intense vacuuming can tire the fibers over time.

Every few months, it's worthwhile to turn the kilim over and vacuum the back side as well. If you lightly rotate the rug once a year, you ensure even wear and preserve 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: blot 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 be permanently trapped, especially in flat weaves.

Dried food residues can usually be carefully scraped or brushed off – ideally with a steady hand and without haste.