A happy-ending tale from Turkey

 

Back around the year 2000, a passionate Turkish kilim dealer set out on a personal mission. Deeply inspired by the traditional flatweaves from the Obruk region, he began a small-scale production in his village. His vision? To recreate antique Obruk cicim kilims, but with a fresh, contemporary color palette (blue, green, red, yellow, purple).

He spared no effort: sourcing the finest wool, using only natural dyes, and working with highly skilled weavers. The result was a limited but exceptional collection—crafted with care, just like in the old days.

But tucked away in his modest shop, far off any major route, the collection remained largely unseen and unsold for years. That is, until a friend of ours was traveling through the region. While asking around about kilims, a local pointed him toward “a man who had some.” What he found was extraordinary.

 

 

In front of him were cicim kilims of rare quality—woven just two decades ago, yet bearing the richness and technique of a bygone era. So he did what anyone with an eye for beauty would do: he bought them all.

And lucky for us, we were able to acquire most of this unique Obruk cicim collection from him. A forgotten gem—rediscovered, revived, and ready to be cherished once more.