Kelim Cushion Zehra 102x60cm

The traditional and timeless patterns of Anatolia make our vintage pillows very special. They are the mystical symbols of a millennia-old nomadic tradition, intended to bless the home and its inhabitants with love, blessings, and protection. High-quality materials such as hand-spun sheep's wool, goat hair, or cotton connect us with the energy of Mother Earth. This pillow 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 has a high-quality zipper. The kilim was professionally cleaned before processing; age-related wear and natural irregularities are unavoidable with unique, handmade vintage carpets.

Anatolian kilims are far more than mere textile utility items – they are woven memories, personal messages, and an expression of living 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, combed, and hand-spun. The dyeing of the yarns often utilized 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 in their tones the traces of a cultural transition: 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 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 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 never 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 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 carefully maintained, it can outlive many more generations. It doesn't require elaborate care, but rather the right kind of care.

We recommend gently vacuuming or shaking out 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 the fibers in the long run.

Every few months, it's worth turning the kilim over and vacuuming the back as well. Turning the rug slightly once a year ensures even wear and maintains the balance in the weave.

For basic 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 – that would damage the fibers. If you need assistance in choosing a suitable cleaner, we will be 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, dab carefully 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.