Kelim | 21 x 20 cm | Nr. Z-4638

Lightly framed Kelim, light red with diamonds

Origin	India
Dimensions	21 cm x 20 cm (= 0.04 m²)
Construction	hand-woven
Material	Weft (pile): wool (hand-spun, natural dyes) Warp: cotton
Pile height	3mm
Year of manufacture	1980
Colour	Light red, Beige
Edition	one-of-a-kind piece

Origin

Glowing colours and simple, geometric patterns – that is what makes Kelims loved all over the world. Kelims (also Kilim, Qilim) were traditionally made only for the weavers' own use. 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 everyday life, the patterns – however naive they may look – always carry a personal message and hold meaning for the weavers and their families.

In Europe it is above all Kelims from Turkey, the Caucasus, Iran, Afghanistan and the Turkmen cultural region that are known and loved. In fact, rugs are hand-woven in every country where rugs are knotted.

Pattern

A lightly suggested border frames the edge of this rug.

In the pattern of this Kelim it is the diamonds that stand out most. A diamond is a rhombus standing on one of its points, and in the Oriental rug its four equal sides can be serrated, stepped or set with hooks. The diamond is one of the oldest basic forms in the Oriental rug. In the Islamic world it carries a symbolic meaning: it stands for the immortality of the soul. That is why it is so often found as a filler motif.

The background of this Kelim is light red. The border is kept in beige.

Material

Kelims are 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 woven into the warp threads. For every new colour, a new thread has to be used in each row. The thread ends are worked in as the weaving goes along.

The weft threads of this Kelim rug are hand-spun sheep's wool dyed with plant colours. Before the rug is woven, the sheep are shorn and the wool is then cleaned, combed and finally spun. After spinning, the wool for Kelim rugs is dyed with natural colours in an elaborate process. Because of this traditional method, the pile of Kelim rugs feels dry and slightly furry. The warp threads of this Kelim are made of cotton.