InANTIQUES KILIM RUGS
KILIM RUGS
The Traditional Flat-Woven Rug Laden with Rich History I n prior issues of RUG INSIDER Magazine, we have examined numerous antique rug styles, including Sarouk, Tabriz, Kerman, Kashan, Heriz, Bidjar, among others. One thing that all of these rug styles have had in common is that they are all pile rugs, with wool pile that sticks out above the foundational warp and weft of the carpet. In contrast, one of the most beloved traditional rug styles of the Middle East is the Kilim rug, a flat-woven rug style with no pile, but hand- made with the rich history of the various locations from which it emanates. BY RODNEY HAKIM, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
FLAT-WOVEN KILIM RUGS AND THEIR TRIBAL NOMADIC WEAVERS
The Kilim rug, relative to the aforemen- tioned pile rugs from such renowned weaving regions as Sarouk, Tabriz, and Kashan, is a humble rug, with no upright wool pile, and with the rug’s decorative aesthetic being woven within the foun- dational warp and weft of the piece. These flat-woven Kilim rugs were mostly woven by nomadic tribal groups, who would hand-weave them on simple portable looms, which would travel with them on their nomadic journeys. Given that these simple, pileless weav- ings would be made by nomadic tribes, they were mostly made as durable weavings for utilitarian purposes, including use as floor coverings, blan- kets, tent coverings, doorway separa- tors, and as dowries for children.
Antique Turkish Kilim, 12’5” x 7’4”, circa 1930, #28774
These flat-woven rugs would typically be made with rudimentary geometric designs, reflecting both the aesthetic of the nomadic tribespeople weaving them, and the limitations of their weav-
ing with their simple techniques and nomadic lifestyle, where looms would have to be taken apart and re-assem- bled regularly, not allowing for a rug to sit unfinished for long.
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