Handwoven Kilim Rugs: Turkish Weaving with a Storied History
Kilim rugs are a handmade, flat-woven carpet with no piles or knotted fluff. Although the word kilim is of Turkish origin, kilim rugs have been made in Turkey, Persia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, Morocco, the Balkans and Scandinavia, proving the flat-weaving technique spread far. Because these antique rugs are found across the globe, each region has a different pronunciation and spelling of the name Kilim.
Most experts believe kilims originated in the Anatolia region of modern day Turkey. The earliest examples of kilim rugs date back as far as the 4th century AD, although there is evidence the flat-weave technique probably began at about 1,000 BC in Egypt.
Qashgahii kilims from the Zagros region, along with Turkoman and baluch kilims from eastern Iran and central Asia, are among the styles now highly coveted by those who buy kilim rugs.
Construction
The techniques used to make vintage kilim rugs have changed little over the centuries. Whereas a pile rug is made by knotting short strands of different color onto warps and held together by pressing the wefts tightly against each other, the design of a Kilim rug is made by interweaving the variously colored wefts and warps.
The simple interlocking strands of wool, hair or fiber requires no backing, so Kilim carpets are thinner than traditional Persian rugs and Oriental rugs, making them popular as tapestries or use as bed coverlets.
The Distinctive Motifs and Colors of Kilim Carpets
Common motifs found in Kilim carpets include serrated leaf elements, zig-zag crenellations, shield medallions, diamond borders, and geometric designs. Many of the geometric motifs in kilims – “ramshorn” motifs and serrated medallions or “ashiks” – traveled with nomads as they spread to the Middle East. Elements such as perennials, pomegranates and fronds are popular in modern kilim carpets and vintage kilims alike.
The wide-ranging palette of reds, greens, oranges, and browns in antique Kilim carpets demonstrate the quality of dyes early Anatolian weavers had at their disposal. Many traditional kilim rugs feature warm, muted colors as the primary hues, with cooler tones used to create points of contrast.
The flat-weaving technique used to make Kilim rugs makes it difficult to produce continuous separations of color, so Kilims often have a stepped or crenelated appearance.
A Traditional Kilim Was Practical Before It Was Decorative
Woolen kilims are known for their strength and versatility. Long before Kilims became decorative pieces, tribal communities used them as floor coverings; as bedding or clothing; as horse blankets; for storage of grains; or draped as a shelter against the weather.
Lightweight and easy to transport, Kilims are especially popular in rug-weaving centers with warm climates, where shaggy rugs were not needed to keep warm.
Buying Antique Kilim Rugs and Contemporary Kilims
For many decades, antique Kilim rugs were considered artifacts of primordial tribal design unaffected by the influence of high art or foreign culture. Once overlooked as low status items, antique Kilims are now cherished as examples of the authentic weaving tradition of the Middle East.
We pride ourselves on a distinctive collection of Kilims. For those interested in buying vintage Kilim rugs, our collection of antique carpets offers an extraordinary range of designs and colors. We also carry a vast selection of more modern Kilims for the contemporary home. Shop online or contact us at our Charlotte, North Carolina location to shop for kilim carpets that reflect your style.
Handmade Rugs
Handmade rugs come in all different shapes, sizes, designs and color palettes, but there’s also a distinct quality coincided with handmade rugs that simply sets them apart from the rest of the rug industry. Although many machine-made rugs will closely resemble a handmade rug superficially, it’s undeniable that the overall production process of handmade rugs is extremely complex and typically attaches a higher price tag.
All of us at Rug Source are huge fans of all types of handmade rugs, and our vast online inventory contains pieces of art from all across the globe. There’s no doubt about it that this is a very special portion of our website, and we’re excited to help you throughout the process of finding the perfect handmade rug for your home or workspace.
Throughout this page we’ll go over the historical significance and beauty of handmade rugs and our general guide to finding the perfect match for your existing room aesthetics and personal taste. We fully understand how important these types of investments are to our clientele, but we must admit that you’re in the right place to purchase an area rug that can exponentially accrue in value over long periods of time.
Besides our quality and affordability, what sets Rug Source apart from the rest of the industry is our unbeatable determination within customer service. Our team of experts is always here to support you throughout every step of the rug shopping experience, and we’ll be more than happy to answer any questions or concerns you may have about any particular item within our inventory.
Always feel free to contact us online so we can get you in touch with one of our experts as quickly as possible!
The Historical Significance Behind The Beauty Of Handmade Rugs
Handmade rugs have been around for thousands of years, and still in today’s rug industry they are by far the gold standard. There truly is no better method to create an absolutely exquisite, woven rug design than by utilizing the simplest tools and the mastery of trained weavers and artisans. What’s truly so remarkable about today’s handmade rug industry is that the weaving technique traditions have been handed down from generation to generation and are continuing to thrive.
There are countless variations within the handmade rug world, and every technique offers unique warp and weft interpretations and distinctive design repertoires. There’s no denying how the cultural significance of handmade rugs beyond any doubt sets these rugs apart from the rest of the industry, which is why they’re such special investments for homeowners!
Handmade rugs are still revered today for their intricate storytelling patterns, their durability, and their unbeatable material textures. It’s a beautiful tradition that speaks volumes into the very heart of humanity’s story, and it’s incredible how handmade rugs have not even come close to being surpassed by machines and technology in terms of prestige and elegance.
5 Important Considerations When Searching For A Handmade Rug
Handmade rugs vary dramatically in terms of materials, craftsmanship and aesthetics. It’s important for rug shoppers to have a basic understanding as to what they should be looking for while finding the handmade rug of their dreams, and this is because these are sometimes big investments that shoppers should take seriously.
The following are 5 important considerations you should keep in mind while looking through our collection of high-quality, handmade rugs:
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Handmade Definitions
All machine-made rugs lack the overall rarity and quality that coincides with handmade rugs, and the overall difference is the uniqueness of handmade rugs.
Machine-made rugs are mass-produced, which makes all of them generally similar in terms of material feel and appearance. Handmade rugs are completely unique, and they’re typically made while an artist utilizes a drawing to complete the rug. Although there may be certain similarities within each weaver’s style, each handmade rug will undoubtedly exhibit an unbridled uniqueness that simply can’t ever be matched.
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Dyes and Materials
Wool and silk are typically the main materials utilized within handmade rugs. There are many rug manufacturers that will use substandard offsets of these materials, but truly handmade rugs will always be made from the real deal. One way to notice the knockoff materials is that they won’t have their natural suppleness and glossiness!
Colorfastness tends to be the way to be able to determine whether or not a rug’s dyes are from the finest quality associated with authentic handmade rugs. One thing you can do is ask a rug dealer like us to test the rug’s dyes, which we’ll be more than happy to do by running a damp cloth over the fibers.
This test is to see if any color attaches itself to the cloth, which is a clear indication that the dyes are cheap or simply not authentically integrated into the rug.
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KPI Value
Knots-per-inch (KPI) will help in terms of determining the overall value of a handmade rug. The coloring and overall aesthetics of a rug are always important, but the higher the KPI the more clarity and resolution there will be within these colors and designs. In the world of handmade, Oriental rugs it’s always clarity that speaks loudest.
Our handmade rugs range all the way up to 1,000 KPI, which is about as high as this type of knot count can possibly go!
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Your Best Size
It’s always important to know exactly where you want to place your handmade rug within your home or office prior to making any purchasing decisions, because this will help you to more efficiently narrow down your options.
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Your Rug Dealer
The last and certainly not least consideration on this list is who you get your handmade rug from. Of course you’ve clearly done your homework by finding yourself on the Rug Source website, and we’re proud to be an authority figure within the handmade and Oriental rug industry.
We are specialists on all of our handmade rugs and will be able to provide ample information pertaining to each item’s country of origin, KPI, age, artist background, and much, much more!
Contact Our Team Of Experts Today For More Information!
All of us at Rug Source take pride in our work and online inventory, and we’re very excited to help you find the perfect handmade rug that matches your existing aesthetics and personality.
There’s truly a lot that goes into this type of rug purchase, so we know you’re likely to have questions. Always feel free to contact us online or call us today at 980-422-4080 or 704-763-0979 for more information so one of our experts can keep you and your rug search on the right track!
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