11154 Vintage Van Kurdish Kilim Rug 172x309cm (5.7½ x 10.1½ft)

Village made vintage Turkish rustic Kilim Rug from Van in Eastern Turkey - hand-woven using flatweave slit weave kilim technique using cotton on cotton which is really rare!! This kelim measures approximately 172x309cm (5.7½ x 10.1½ft) - this is a very unusual kilim in that it is woven almost entirely of cotton, which gives a completely different look to a rug woven in wool - cotton stays bright and doesn't fade down over time so that's why the bright detail is so bright!  We love the design and bright colours against the softer tones, we rarely find kilims like this.

The City of Van is east of Lake Van – an ancient capital of the greater Kingdom Armenia and a city of great importance for both Kurds, Turks and Armenians alike.  The tradition of Kilim and Carpet weaving has been established in this region for a long time and the work is generally carried out by Kurdish people; the weaving resembles some of the Kilims made by the Kurds. There are many interesting types of nomadic or semi-nomadic piled and flat-woven rugs produced in this area. Turkish Van Kilim rugs are often darker colours in reds, blues and creams but can occasionally have a lovely soft colour palette and more rarely bright cotton colours.  Van Kilims usually have busy designs with hooked, diamond-shaped medallions, horizontal bands filled with smaller medallions and hexagonal motifs. Find out more about Rug Motifs, Symbols & Meaning here.