What is Kilim? A flat tapestry-woven carpet or rug that is typically made in those countries of the former Persian Empire.
What countries? Iran, the Balkans and Turkic countries. They aren't just decorative. You could use them for prayer rugs.
How is the word pronounced? Gelīm (گلیم). What does the word Kilim mean? To spread roughly. It's origins? Persian, Akkadian or Aramean. Is this something new? No, not at all. Not much unlike pile carpets, they're much older than most.
The Hungarian-Brittish explorer Mark Aurel Stein (1862-1943) known for his explorations and archaeological discoveries in Central Asia found kilims in Hotan China, which date to at least the fourth or fifth century CE.
Downsides? It is an obvious one. There isn't a pile. What is pile? Pile is the raised surface or nap of a fabric consisting of upright loops or strands of yarn. Why is pile important? Without the protection, which a pile provides for the materials, durability could understandably be a problem as they aren’t as durable as rugs with a pile protecting the warp and weft.
Available patterns? Choose from narrow stripes of blue, green, brownish yellow and red each with tiny geometric designs.
How are they are made? The weaving method is around fourteen threads of warp and sixteen threads of weft to the inch, which hasn’t changed very much if at all. It involves tightly interweaving the warp and weft strands of the weave, which forms the flat surface. It is a weft-faced plain weave. These horizontal weft strands are pulled tightly downward to hide the vertical warp strands. The weft yarn is wound back from a boundary point. Boundary point? This is when the end of a color boundary is reached.
If the field boundary is a straight vertical line, a vertical slit forms between the two different color areas where they meet.
These are slit woven textiles. They produce very sharp-etched designs, which emphasize the geometry of the weave opposed to the interlocking method (the weaving strategy to avoid slit formation) that produces a more blurred design. The visible wool weft strands carry the design and the color. Notably, the hidden warp strands are not always wool; they can be cotton as well. Warp strands visible at the ends are tied in bunches to ensure against unwelcome loosening or unraveling where they emerge as the fringe.
They're less costly than pile rugs. However, that isn't the only reason they have been recently receiving some attention. Collectors are noticing them. So are designers working on traditional design projects that demand a natural look opposed to a commercial one. Is it the unaffected design that makes them unique and the smart choice? During trends, they're immune to market pressures. Designs are rarely if ever altered! Is this always the case with pile carpets? Naturally, designers and homeowners find themselves tiring of commercial designs. They value authentic village weaving.
The authentic ones are made in Konya, Malatya, Karapinar and Hotamis and most of the Anatolian ones are slit woven.
The antiques were woven in two to three sections on small nomadic horizontal floor looms in three feet wide long strips, then carefully sewn together matching the patterns edges to create an ultimately wider rug. These pieces are still being produced in very limited quantities by nomadic tribes for their personal use and are commonly known as cicims.
Alright, you've heard enough and are genuinely interested in buying one or more of them; either as a designer for your project or as a homeowner for your home. What's the next step? Start shopping. We've provided a few suppliers for convenience. Click on one of the links. Review the collections. Pick the ones ideally suited for your project or your home.
These aren't the only suppliers of Kilim. However, it's a good starting point. Remember, you could always expand your search for additional suppliers. Eventually, you'll find the ones that are ideally suited for your design project.
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