Çal kilim
from western Turkey
circa 1870
Size: 295 x 165 cm
Interest in ‘oriental rugs’ has changed focus over the last fifty years or so from mere floor coverings to art objects.
One area of renewed recognition is the artistic quality of antique Anatolian flat woven rugs or kilims.
This ancient weaving tradition existed in Asia Minor long before the arrival of the Turks around 1000 AD.
These kilims are generally noted for their bold abstract patterns which bear little relation to other areas of oriental carpet design. The are also the most powerful statements of colour and visual movement and it is clear that those who made kilims such as this well understood the aesthetics of colour and form.
Kilims from Çal and Helvçikoy in western Anatolia feature a pastel range of natural colour including, during this period, the limited use of the dyestuff Indigo-disulphonic acid as a pale blue.
