USAK Vintage Kilim 316x185cm

• Unique Vintage Rug - only one available!
• Material: 100% high-quality, hand-spun sheep's wool
• Craftsmanship: Flat-woven by hand on a traditional wooden loom
• Age: Vintage / Semi-antique. Approx. 1960s
• Condition: Vintage in like-new quality due to extensive cleaning and restoration process
• Origin: Uşak, Anatolia
• Dimensions: 316cm x 185cm, Height: 3mm

Region of Origin

Anatolia makes up the majority of modern-day Turkey. Carpets from this region are characterized by their indigenous, geometric patterns - with many symbols that reflect the life of a traditional way of living in harmony with nature. The heritage of an ancient, schematic culture of the Turkic peoples, passed down from generation to generation in the form of weaving art.

Symbolism

In Anatolia, a variety of symbols and patterns were used in traditional kilims and carpets, with their origins in the Neolithic period. For millennia, nomadic and village women have woven themes into their carpets that are significant to their lives. One of the main symbols is the figure of "Elibelinde", which represents the Cosmic Mother and her creative feminine power. Other motifs represent wishes, such as for happiness and children, while others serve to protect against threats such as wolves, scorpions, or the evil eye. Motifs were often combined when woven into patterns on kilims, giving them multi-layered meanings. Thus, each carpet tells its own story in the form of woven poetry.

Production

Our vintage kilims and carpets were made entirely by hand from the beginning of the 20th century until the 1970s. In the first step, the weaver sheared, washed, combed, and hand-spun the wool from her own sheep and goats into yarn.

Subsequently, the yarn bundles were dyed in an elaborate, manual process using natural pigments or alizarin dyes. Each individual shade had to be dyed separately. By dyeing independently, the weaver could unleash her creativity and had control over the coloring, but at the same time the result was subject to a complex interplay of many factors, resulting in a color play of different nuances of a single shade. This shading in the yarn or in the finished kilim or carpet is called abrash. After the yarn was finished, the warp threads were stretched as tautly as possible over the warp beam of the wooden loom. Only then could the weaver begin weaving her kilim. Every motif, every symbol, every area was woven by hand with great love and patience until the finished kilim was created and the ends of the kilim were knotted and often adorned with elaborately braided fringes. The production process often took several months, sometimes years, and was carried out either by a single weaver or by several women simultaneously. Grandmothers, mothers, sisters, other family members, or neighbors often sat at a loom at the same time, telling each other stories or singing songs together while weaving. Weaving a kilim not only served the purpose of subsequent use, but the entire process was a ritual, a ceremony, a form of meditation and prayer, an expression of the weaver's emotions, and a medium for passing on the stories of times past in the form of woven poetry. 

Material

Wool is the most commonly used fiber in the production of Anatolian carpets. Not only is it abundant in Turkey, but it is also a natural and very high-quality material. In particular, hand-spun wool has particularly long fibers and a high content of lanolin (wool grease). This makes it very durable, long-lasting, and antibacterial. 

Natural sheep's wool is a living material that, through the influence of sun, air, and water and careful use, becomes softer and shinier over the years. A material that ages beautifully, is absolutely environmentally friendly and free of harmful substances. It has the property of cleaning and regenerating itself, brings warmth, a good indoor climate and pleasant room acoustics to every home. In addition, sheep's wool and goat hair have the property of grounding our bodies and dissipating negative electrostatic charges. 

These positive properties prove particularly useful in large cities and when using electronic devices.

Cleaning and Restoration

The cleaning process of our vintage kilim carpets takes place cyclically and in harmony with nature. In the summer months, our carpets are first thoroughly washed with water and olive soap and then further cleaned for up to three months on our "Kilim Field" in Antalya with the power of the sun.

Sun exposure and airing remove stubborn stains and discolorations, odors, moths, and bacteria. 

Through this intensive and natural cleaning process, we can completely do without environmentally harmful chemicals or health-damaging moth repellents.

After sunbathing in Antalya, our kilims and carpets are mechanically dusted and then sent to Istanbul. In our atelier in the old town of Sultanahmet, each carpet is individually stretched into shape, the ends are re-knotted using a special technique so that the weave cannot unravel. Holes or discolored areas are re-woven true to the original. The complete cleaning and restoration process takes between six months and two years, depending on the kilim.

With loving care and mindful maintenance, our kilims and rugs can last for many more generations. Our rugs do not require a lot of special care, but they do require the right kind. We recommend that you regularly and carefully vacuum or beat your rug to remove dirt and debris. Vacuuming your rug once or twice a month is sufficient. Vacuuming too frequently can wear out the knots and fibers more quickly. If your vacuum cleaner has a suction attachment, use it instead of a rotating brush.

Every few months, you should turn your rug over and vacuum the underside to remove dirt from the bottom of the rug. It is also helpful to rotate your rug once a year to ensure even wear.

We recommend having your rug professionally hand-washed every 3 to 5 years. Please do not take it for steam or dry cleaning – this will certainly damage the rug! Choose a rug cleaner who uses pH-neutral shampoo or olive soap for hand washing. The soap is worked into the rug by hand with a soft-bristled brush and then thoroughly rinsed out. If you have any questions or need assistance in selecting a rug cleaning service, please feel free to contact us. We work with trusted oriental rug cleaners and restorers and can offer our customers discounted rates.

A stain, what now?
Blot the stain with a dry cloth until it is dry. If necessary, you can dab it with a slightly damp cloth and a little olive soap. Please do not attempt to wash your rug yourself. If the stain does not come out, immediately contact a specialist for oriental rugs for cleaning. Adding a lot of liquid can make stain removal more difficult and even worsen them. This is because moisture spreads along the fibers and can get trapped in rugs with horizontal fibers (like flat weaves).

Dried food residues can be easily scraped off or brushed out.