Vintage Koprubasi kilim from Turkey. 240x180 cms

Wide Vintage Köprübaşı Kilim with Rich Red Abrash

This vintage kilim from Köprübaşı features a striking red background with beautiful abrash — the natural variations in color that give handwoven textiles their unique charm. The serrated medallions, woven with slight irregularities, seem to float effortlessly across the field, adding a sense of movement and authenticity to the design.

With its generous, squarish proportions, this kilim is ideal for placing under a dining table or anchoring a living space with both color and character.

Material: 100% hand-spun sheep wool

Size: 240×180 cms

Origin: Koprubasi, Turkey.

Date of weaving: 1970s

Kilims or Gilims are flatwoven textiles with a woollen weft on a woollen, goat hair or cotton warp. There are many different techniques and designs. The weaver normally works within a tradition of techniques, motifs and designs specific to a particular area or ethnic group. The designs relate to her natural surroundings, protection, fertility and the harmony of family relationships. Each weaver adds something from her own creativity and sense of composition. Kilims are often woven as part of a marriage dowry and can be used to create many different objects like storage bags, horse-blankets, baby carriers, blankets and wall and floor coverings.

This kilim was hand-woven on a simple loom by a village or nomadic weaver for her own use. Probably the weaver used wool from her own sheep. The wool was first cleaned, then hand-carded, hand-spun and finally dyed by hand, often using natural dye materials like roots, nuts, berries, fruits, flowers and plants. Kilims from the last quarter of the twentieth century mostly use synthetic dyes. This kilim would have taken many months to complete.

All our kilims selected in the country of origin and are professionally washed and restored before we import them directly from Iran, Turkey and Afghanistan. Natural patina and charming imperfections in design and colour (abrash) are highly valued characteristics of hand-woven kilims.