Object Description
Early 20th Century Anatolian Kilim
3.30 x 1.45 cm
Anatolia, the western region of Turkey, has a long-standing rug-weaving tradition, dating at least as far back as the 13th Century. As the explorer Marco Polo once wrote, ‘Here they make the most beautiful silks and carpets, and in the most beautiful colours.’ It is these carpets, among the first to reach the European market in the Early Modern era, that can be spotted in many of the paintings of the Old Masters, including those of Holbein, Vermeer, and Reubens.
This charming early 20th Century flatweave gallery rug – often referred to as a kelleh – employs a spontaneous, charmingly naive pattern, with traditional hooked motifs in gracefully aged vegetable dyed colurs of denim blue, ochre red, ivory and olive green. One especially attractive feature is the delicate abrash – or, subtle variation in tone – achieved in the weave, which ends a feeling of depth and character to the work.
Retained in very good practical condition for everyday use, preserving its original borders and fringes on all sides – remarkable for a kilim of this age.
A timeless example, to suit a wide variety of interiors.