CARPETS & KILIMS

CATEGORIES OF CARPETS & KILIMS

Dosemealti, Wool on wool
 WOOL ON WOOL (click to see the collection)
Nomadic carpets of Turkey have a long and proud history. The entire world recognizes these authentic and individual carpets as treasures. This is a cottage industry of the nomadic tribes and even today the designs, dyes and weaving techniques pass from mothers to daughters. Throughout Turkey there are still hundreds of small settlements weaving these traditional attractive carpets and all three parts of these carpets, which are warp, weft and the pile are wool. The wool is shorn from the sheep they breed, the dyes are obtained from plants and flowers in nature, the designs are passed down from generation to generation and the craftsmanship is inherited. The sizes of these rugs woven by the migrating nomadic tribes may be unusual for the modern utilitarian purposes since these people weave for their own use or needs. Their feelings like their joys and sorrows can be depicted from the colors and the designs they choose.

Hereke, Wool on Cotton
WOOL ON COTTON (click to see the collection)
Mankind is always striving for better and even better. For higher quality and more durability they needed strong structure especially for the area carpets with high traffic. Due to its high stability the cotton base and wool pile was first introduced. In Turkey today there are three main carpet weaving centers producing world famous wool on cotton carpets: Hereke, Konya Ladik and Kayseri. Hereke has a very high density and uses rich composition of overall floral designs in different tones of colors from pastel to bright. Konya Ladik is famous with its predominant medallion designs adorned with floral motives at the borders and uses a wide variety of colors. Kayseri uses a special thinner yarn and a very large collection of overall and medallion designs. Especially 50-60 years old Kayseri rugs have a high demand in the market due to their antique look.

Kayseri, Silk on silk

SILK ON SILK (click to see the collection)
Natural silk from the silkworm cacoons is the strongest material used in the production of hand made carpets. Contrary to general belief silk is the most durable material hence could easily be used on the floor without being damaged for generations. Silk cacoons were first brought to Anatolia in the year of 552 AD. by Justinien the Byzantine Emperor and the silk industry continues ever since. The top quality silk is produced in and around the town of Bursa, which is 52% of the total production in Turkey. 43.000 families are living on silk production. Bursa silk is only used in the weaving of silk carpets both in Hereke and in Kayseri which are the two centers where 100% pure silk carpets are woven. Hereke with its higher density and short pile mainly uses floral motifs and all possible color combinations and thus creating a flower garden, which competes with nature. On the other hand the designs of Kayseri silk carpets are mainly medallion, prayer niches, tree of life or 1001 nights. The longer pile gives a special sheen and due to its fine weave the designs seem to be embossed. Silk rugs have always been a means of investment for the people of Anatolia and pride for the brides to have one in their dowries.

 

Sumak, Kilim

KILIM (click to see the collection)
Kilim, although used as a general term for flat-weaves is actually one of the techniques where the motifs are produced by winding the colored weft threads around a pair of warps. Zili, sumak, palaz, and cicim are some other techniques where three threads are involved. Turkey still preserves all the different weaving techniques. Kilims are woven to be used in everyday life as utilitarian pieces such as blankets, floor coverings, cradles, grain sacks, salt bags, spoon bags. The technique differs according to the purpose, which suits the best. In order to have a tighter weave the flour sacks are woven with cicim technique. The cradle-strings, belts and girdles are intentionally woven with charpana technique to prevent wear and tear. The old examples of the Anatolian kilims still retain a very significant position and value amongst the kilims of the world. These weavings are all expressions of expectations from future. Each kilim has a message in itself and motifs are the words unuttered.


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