MUT Vintage Kilim 210x140cm
Mut Kilim, 1950s – Woven Memories from the Taurus Mountains
In the vast heights of the Taurus Mountains, where life is governed by the rhythms of nature, a nomadic weaver once sat before her ground loom. With skilled hands, she wove not only wool, but also her dreams, hopes, and the ancestral knowledge of her forefathers into a fabric that is more than a carpet – a silent companion of her life, a shield for her family, a piece of identity.
This Mut Kilim from the 1950s, handcrafted from wool on a foundation of strong goat hair, is an authentic testament to Anatolian nomadic culture. It was not created for trade, but for the weaver's own household, to warm the tent, to serve as seating for gatherings, and to be passed down as a symbol of belonging. Each color, obtained from plants in the surrounding landscape, has gently changed over time – like the stories passed down through generations.
Woven for a Life in Motion
In the world of Anatolian nomads, weaving was more than just a craft – it was a way of life. Kilims like this one were made on horizontal ground looms, which were set up anew each season as families moved with their herds between summer pastures in the mountains and winter camps in the valleys.
The goat hair foundation makes this rug particularly durable – the same fiber from which weatherproof nomadic tents were woven. The wool for the pattern comes from sheep whose fleece was particularly robust due to the high altitudes. Dyed with madder root, walnut shells, and indigo, the warm red, brown, and blue tones tell of the Anatolian landscape, of the sunlight that gently faded the colors over the years, and of hands that, with every knot, passed on memories of their people.
Every thread was hand-spun, dyed, and woven – a process that extended over months and accompanied the daily lives of the weavers. Between the warp and weft threads lies the soul of a culture where nothing was wasted and every piece of fabric had a story.
Protection, Love and Hope: The Symbols of the Kilim
The patterns of this kilim are more than decoration – they are messages, a woven alphabet that tells of protection, hope, and the desire for a fulfilling life. Two central symbols characterize the design:
• The Comb (Tarak): An ancient symbol of fertility, marriage, and the desire for offspring. Young women wove this motif into their kilims as silent prayers for a happy future.
• The Fingers (Parmak): A powerful symbol against the evil eye. In Anatolia, it was believed that an outstretched hand wards off misfortune – a protective sign that dates back to pre-Islamic times and was later associated with the Hand of Fatima.
Every pattern, every line of this kilim is a silent conversation with the future. The weaver who created it knew that it would accompany her – as a rug in her tent, perhaps as a wall hanging, or as a gift for a daughter who was starting her own home.
A Piece of History That Lives On Today
Seventy years ago, this kilim lay on the floor of a nomadic tent, felt the warmth of firelit nights, served as a soft base for gatherings and stories. Today it bears the gentle patina of time, but its story is more vivid than ever.
A unique piece that was brought into the world – yet its soul remained unchanged: a woven memory of a life in harmony with nature, of the rhythm of the seasons, and of the hands that, with every knot, wove in protection and love.
Dimensions: 210x140cm
Material: Wool on goat hair
Origin: Mut, Anatolia, Turkey
Age: approx. 1950s
Condition: Vintage, with a gentle patina of time
Shipping: worldwide shipping available
MUT Vintage Kilim 210x140cm
Wild Heart Free Soul
Kastanienallee 55
10119 Berlin
Germany
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One-of-a-Kind Vintage Kilim Rug: Limited Availability, only one piece available!
- 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 1950s
- Condition: Carefully restored vintage rug, in like-new condition through professional cleaning and restoration processes.
- Origin: Mut, Anatolia
- Dimensions: 210 cm length x 140 cm width, 5 mm thickness.
This rug is not only a piece of history, but also a work of art that will add a unique and culturally rich atmosphere to any room.
Anatolian kilims are far more than textile household 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 was also 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 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, 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 long in chests until they one day came back to light.
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 don't 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 quiet 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 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 the kilim once or twice a month to remove dust and dirt. Please do not use a rotary vacuum cleaner for this purpose; instead, ideally use a brush attachment or a gentle handheld device. Too frequent, intensive vacuuming can eventually tire the fibers.
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 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 be 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.