Vintage Antalya Kilim Rug Old Anatolian Turkish Carpet

About the Item

This is a South Anatolian old vintage Kilim from the Antalya region with a rare and beautiful color composition. Founded in 200 BC by Attalus II, king of Pergamum, Antalya, then named Attaleia, has always been a bustling port. During the Crusades, the town was used for the embarking of troops on their way to Palestine, as it was a Byzantine stronghold at Antalya that was captured by Seljuks in the early 12th century, and late in the 15th century it became part of the Ottoman Empire. There are many interesting monuments in the town such as the Hadrian Gate, a three-arched marble portal constructed to honor the visit of the famous Roman Emperor Hadrian in AD 130; an ancient tower, which was probably used as a lighthouse; a Seljuk theological college; and a mosque which dates to 1250. The Antalya Museum has a good ethnographical section which includes a Yörük tent, and room sets from Ottoman houses as well as a village home complete with a loom. Weaving continues to be practiced in the villages of the Antalya area, although modern production is coarsely woven with garish colors that need sun-fading. The sun-fading of both kilims and carpets is the task that lies ahead of farmers in the area once the crops have been harvested, for then the rugs are laid out for approximately two months, depending on the dyes used and the degree of fading required. The designs of recently woven kilims do not appear to bear any relation to their ancestors. The modern variety is borderless and has elongated hexagonal shapes filling the field, or large serrated diamond shapes appearing in various formats with striped skirts. The colors are generally reds, pinks, oranges, browns, yellow, green, blue, and purple fading to grey. Antalya kilim is a general term for kilims traded there, and to be exact, it refers to those woven in the surrounding area. Today, a kilim called sun-fade is made in this area by exposing it to strong sunlight to fade it. This kilim is the most beautiful piece with a neatly arranged medallion pattern. A row of diamond-shaped medallions is one of the features of the old Antalia kilim design. Pale grass color, gray, pinkish beige, reddish light brown, and the pale tone is tightened with a dark brown border and orange points. In the orderly impression, the pink-beige-like light brown uneven dyeing arranged throughout gives a natural feeling and strikes a good balance. Although it is pretty large, it is also characterized by the splendor of the weave that is neatly packed to the end.

Dimensions:

Width: 65.36 in (166 cm)Length: 145.67 in (370 cm)

Style:

Kilim (In the Style Of)

Materials and Techniques:

Natural Fiber,Wool,Hand-Knotted,Hand-Woven

Place of Origin:

Turkey

Period:

Mid-20th Century

Date of Manufacture:

circa 1950