Antique Senneh Kelim | 206 x 131 cm | Nr. 10347

Antique Senneh Kelim, grey-beige with medallion and border

Origin	Persia
Dimensions	206 cm x 131 cm (= 2.70 m²)
Construction	hand-woven
Material	Weft (pile): wool (hand-spun, natural dyes) Warp: cotton
Pile height	1mm
Year of manufacture	1920
Colour	Grey-beige, Light red
Edition	one-of-a-kind piece

 

Origin

Kelims (also kilim, qilim) were traditionally made for the weavers' own use only. Nomads and farmers used and still use their Kelims as rugs on the floor, but also as tent or wall hangings, blankets, cushions or bags. Because Kelims were constant companions in daily life, their patterns – however naive they may appear – always carry a personal message and hold meaning for the weavers and their families.

In Europe it is above all the Kelims from Turkey, the Caucasus region, Iran, Afghanistan and the Turkmen cultural sphere that are known and loved. In fact, rugs are hand-woven in every country where rugs are knotted. This Kelim was hand-woven in the town of Senneh. Senneh is called Sanandaj today and is the centre of the western Persian province of Kurdistan. In Iran, incidentally, Sanandaj is famous not only for its rugs but also for its backgammon boards, handmade from the root wood of walnut trees. Senneh rugs are sometimes referred to as Sanandaj rugs today. Senneh Kelims are typically woven particularly finely.

Kelims are always hand-woven and consist only of warp and weft threads, so they have no thick pile standing upright. Kelims show the same pattern on both sides and can therefore be used either way up. The pattern is created by the coloured weft threads that are woven into the warp threads. This antique Senneh Kelim is a collector's piece. It is around 100 years old, and for that reason alone it is a truly special piece. Antique rugs such as this Senneh Kelim are as sought after as ever and fetch top prices at renowned auction houses.

 

Pattern

At the heart of the central field of this Senneh Kelim lies the symmetrical centre, also known as the medallion. The design of the field is subordinate to the medallion, so that the medallion seems to float on the field.

The edge of the rug is graced by a surround (border). The border forms a wonderful contrast to the centre.

The background of this Senneh Kelim is black. The overall impression is dominated by grey-beige and black. The border is worked in grey-beige, light red and blue-grey.

 

Condition

This Senneh Kelim has a story to tell. It was hand-woven around 1920. It has been thoroughly cleaned and is in good but unrestored condition. We deliberately left this antique Kelim unwashed and have restored it only in part so far, in order to preserve its authenticity. We have not restored this Senneh Kelim because we feel it has a special charm just as it is. If that is what you would like, we will of course be happy to restore the rug for you. Either way, this Senneh Kelim will give you pleasure for decades to come.

 

Material

The technique used to prepare the materials for the pile of this Senneh Kelim is more than 200 years old. The wool was dyed with natural dyes and spun by hand. Dyeing with natural or plant dyes is more complicated, more expensive and more time-consuming than dyeing with chemical colours. For a glowing red, for example, you need around one kilo of ground madder root as dyestuff per kilo of wool. For a strong yellow that is not too pale, you even need two kilograms of weld per kilo of wool. Spinning the wool is time-consuming and labour-intensive too. What is more, fewer and fewer people still know how to spin wool by hand.

But the effort is worth it: dyeing with natural colours allows the high-quality wool to keep its natural oil content. Wool that has been dyed with natural colours and spun by hand creates fascinating, shimmering patterns. The charm of hand-spun wool, with its slight irregularities and natural shades, comes into its own as a contrast in modern interiors, but equally in rooms furnished in a more traditional or country style.