Kurdish rugs from east Anatolia

It was sunny all day in West Cork (in between the clouds) and I managed to photograph the rest of my finds from April in Turkey, except for a few rugs and kilims still being repaired. I was on the lookout for good Kurdish pieces, after finding a couple of beautiful examples of these often under-appreciated rugs last year. They come from the part of east Anatolia from Malatya and Sivas down to the Gaziantep area (the one with the orange borders). Here are four rugs and a yastik that just arrived.

For more photos and details of these rugs and other kilims and textiles see  www.kilim.ie

Ottoman Period Silk Jackets

Kathi modelling three Ottoman period silk jackets

I spent April in Turkey and found some wonderful kilims, rugs and textiles. As they catch up with me in Ireland, I am steadily photographing and describing them. 

This morning Kathi modelled some Ottoman period silk jackets, the first is from late 19th century Bulgaria and is made from shining green quilted silk with black glass buttons. It looks so aristocratic, I wonder if it was made for court dress. The other two jackets from the 1920s are Turkish and are made from beautiful floral kutnu silk probably from Gaziantep. Only the yellow jacket is too fragile to wear. The others are in great condition for a collection or for wearing on special occasions. 

For more photos and details, see www.kilim.ie

Two fine antique Syrian silk textile garments from Aleppo

An abaya or abba street dress and a head dress from Aleppo in Syria

The first textile is a late 19th or early 20th century hand woven silk 'abaya' street dress from Aleppo, Syria in a particularly rare light chestnut golden silk (200cm x 186cm). Sometime referred to as an 'abba' street dress, the term abaya is closer to the original Arabic. 'The Modern Traveler' of 1825 refers to Syrian traditional dress of the time and states '...abba ...is the name reserved for the striped robe.'

The second silk garment a very fine Aleppo shawl head dress from the 1920s or 20s woven from silk, linen, gold and silver thread. The last photo shows how the head dress would have been worn. Both these textile garments display design characteristics and fine silk weaving associated with Aleppo and both are also representatives of a tradition that has, sadly, almost disappeared.  

To see more photos of these textiles, please see www.kilim.ie or www.tribal-art.org

A rare east Anatolian kilim baby carrier

A Shavak tribe turik baby carrier from Tunceli in Anatolia

A rare example of a late 19th to early 20th century Shavak Tribe baby carrier called a turik from the Tunceli area of central east Anatolia under the Munzur mountains. Made using a fine soumac weaving technique on the patterned from and a kilim flat weave technique on the striped back. 

Tunceli is known for animal breeding and the Shavak Tribe for its high quality shiny wool as used for the fine soumac weave on the front of this 'turik' baby carrier. The bag is woven with fine sheep wool with natural dyes, including intense cochineal red and indigo blue with finely spun cotton used in the white triangular bands, on a natural sheep wool foundation.

The last illustration below of such a bag in use is in Jon Thompson, 'Carpet Magic', this example woven in two panels on a narrow loom (thanks to Lars j for this reference) and see also Josephine Powell, 'Nomads in Anatolia: Encounters with a Vanishing Culture' for another example. The rectangular form of Shavak Tribe baby carriers distinguishes them from other east Anatolian baby carriers as woven in Van and Hakkari which are triangular in shape.

See more photos of this Shavak Tribe baby carrier and other antique Anatolian kilims on www.kilim.ie

A Beautiful Kagizman kilim from east Anatolia near the border with Armenia.

An old kilim from east Anatolia from Kagizman south of Kars. 

From an area that used to be part of Armenia, this beautiful kilim was woven with soft, shiny wool and beautiful colours in a design classic for the Kagizman district. The thick weave and excellent condition makes this a very useable kilim. Originally a longer kilim, skilfully shortened in the past resulting a very useful medium sized kilim that is very difficult to find. Size 210cm x 152cm.

For detailed photos see the link at the top of the following page: www.kilim.ie

An unusual nine saf prayer kilim from Sivas in east Anatolia

An old nine saf kilim from Sivas in east Anatolia. 

This unusual type of kilim with an archaic saf design goes back to at least the 18th century and one is featured in Yanni Petsopoulos’s 1991 book on Anatolian kilims. While making a spectacular wall hanging, the kilim is in very good condition so can also be used on the floor. 1920s/30s. 364 x 176cm. No 6469.

For more photos of this interesting kilim, please see the link at the top of the following page: www.kilim.ie 

www.kilim.ie

A dazzling woman's prayer rug from eastern Anatolia

Kurdish Drejan Tribe woman's prayer rug.

Like a stained glass window, this beautiful prayer rug was made in the 1920s by a woman from the Kurdish Drejan Tribe in eastern Anatolia. It is woven from soft, lustrous wool on a goat hair foundation using natural dyes, including the orange which is a feature of Kurdish rugs from this area between Gaziantep and Malatya. Size 170cm x 70cm.

For more photos and information please visit www.kilim.ie