Kelim | 230 x 160 cm | Nr. Z-3048

Mottled Kelim, pink

Origin	India
Dimensions	230 cm x 160 cm (= 3.68 m²)
Construction	hand-woven
Material	Weft (pile): wool (hand-spun, natural dyes) Warp: cotton
Pile height	4mm
Year of manufacture	2024
Colour	Pink
Edition	one-of-a-kind piece

 

Origin

Glowing colours and simple, geometric patterns – that's why Kelims are loved all over the world. 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 everyday life, their patterns – however naive they may look – always carry a personal message and hold meaning for the weavers and their families.

Especially well known and loved in Europe are Kelims from Turkey, the Caucasus, Iran, Afghanistan and the Turkmen cultural sphere, where they are well known and much loved. In fact, rugs are hand-woven in every country in which rugs are knotted.

 

Pattern

The surface of this Kelim looks mottled. The shifts in tone and the light-and-dark shading of the pile yarn make the colours shimmer and keep the rug from showing dirt. These so-called colour shifts, known as abrash, give the rug a livelier look. The mottled effect comes about because the wool of this Kelim was hand-spun. During dyeing, the natural dyes are taken up to differing degrees.

The clear, abstract design of this contemporary rug speaks especially to people who love clean, modern interiors and architecture. The design idea for this rug comes from Europe. Free from the rules of traditional rug patterns, it was developed for Western art and interior design. This is not an entirely new development. The roots of European rug design go back to Art Deco rugs that were made to Western specifications between the late 1920s and the 1950s.

The background of this Kelim is beige. Pink also dominates the overall impression.

 

Material

Kelims are hand-woven and consist only of warp and weft threads, which means they have no thick, upward-facing pile. Kelims show the same pattern on both sides and are therefore usable on both sides. The pattern is created by the coloured weft threads that are woven into the warp threads. Every new colour calls for a new thread in each row. The thread ends are worked into the weave.

The weft threads of this Kelim rug are made of hand-spun sheep's wool dyed with plant dyes. Before the rug was woven, sheep were first shorn and the wool was 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.