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KILIMS AND FLAT WEAVES 2

 

THIS SECTION shows a selection of flat woven rugs often called kilims.  Sometimes they are just a plain weave with different colours and designs but they also frequently are embellished with designs in knotted pile and various forms of embroidery.

In Morocco, larger pieces are known as "hanbels" and smaller ones which are used for capes are "handiras".  Flat weaves are  used extensively in dwellings as curtains, covers and bedding. Capes are used to counter the intense winter cold in the mountains. Small pieces are used as horse covers and decorations

This group of weavings is for use in daily life and also for ceremony and special occasions.

Please send any enquiries to me at ldrowcroft@gmail.com

THIS ELDERLY BERBER LADY first covered the back of her faithful donkey with a kilim animal cover, then added her leather saddle bags and two additional kilims for comfort before riding side saddle into the market near Ourika, a town in the foothills of the High Atlas south of Marrakech. Owners have a well used kilim cover for their horse or donkey for daily use but often keep a special one for celebrations. These covers are becoming really scarce now and the shipment of 5 pieces which just arrived has taken 4 months to find. They are such versatile pieces for our decor and add a fascinating item as a table cover, a throw over a bench or sofa and as a wall hanging.

MOROCCAN HIGH ATLAS BERBER KILIM. Prepare for a surprise! Although this looks like a carpet, and can serve as one, it is a giant storage bag. At one end the tying loops are an integral part of the end finish and at the other there is a row of corresponding slits through which the loops will go once the carpet is folded in two. In the small interiors of Berber huts and tents multi-purpose items are often made. When folded and secured as a giant tent bag it would be used for storage of grain or filled with other weavings and serve as a bed at night and a divan for day time seating. This rare piece is from the Ait Bou Ichaoen Berbers in the extreme eastern end of the High Atlas Mountains. A carpet with a similar weave and almost identical colours is shown in `Maroc - Tapis du Tribus` in the section of pages 87 to 96. Ref. 2188. Size (opened) 239 x 150 cms, 7ft 10ins x 5ft. Euros 475.

MOROCCAN HIGH ATLAS BERBER KILIM. Prepare for a surprise! Although this looks like a carpet, and can serve as one, it is a giant storage bag. At one end the tying loops are an integral part of the end finish and at the other there is a row of corresponding slits through which the loops will go once the carpet is folded in two. In the small interiors of Berber huts and tents multi-purpose items are often made. When folded and secured as a giant tent bag it would be used for storage of grain or filled with other weavings and serve as a bed at night and a divan for day time seating. This rare piece is from the Ait Bou Ichaoen Berbers in the extreme eastern end of the High Atlas Mountains. A carpet with a similar weave and almost identical colours is shown in `Maroc - Tapis du Tribus` in the section of pages 87 to 96. Ref. 2188. Size (opened) 239 x 150 cms, 7ft 10ins x 5ft. FOLDED OVER AND SECURED FOR USE AS A STORAGE BAG.

MOROCCAN BERBER KILIM. The weaver has used the blends of colours found in the vast desert areas of Morocco with outstanding effect. Sand, terracotta, light brown, a hint of sunset orange and light morning mist blend to together and provide a calm a subtle look. Cotton has been used as part of the foundation because it provides weight and ensures a totally flat rug. Fascinating and durable rug inspired by the local limited landscape. Reference 3434. Size 198 x 110 cms., or 6ft. 6ins. x 3ft. 7ins. Euros 220.

CLOSE UP shows a section of an embroidered band which the weaver has used for decoration at each end. The binding/overcasting on the borders is both decorative and functional as its weight helps to keep the kilim flat.

KILIM with a most unusual shape which suggests it could have been woven to order or for a specific place and use. I think it is from the small town of Saveh in northern Iran where these pieces, together with those from neighbouring Qazvin, are usually found in the bazaar of Zarand and sometimes are sold under this name. The kilim is woven with undyed hand spun white wools of varied shades and thickness . The repeated flowers or trees are typical designs but the meaning of the two central panels is a mystery so far. Reference 3433. Size 170 x 200 cms., or 5ft. 7ins. x 6ft. 7ins. Euros 450

CLOSE UP of the top left hand corner showing wools, designs, fringes and overcasting.

RAJASTHAN BED COVER OR CURTAIN, Little is wasted in rural India. The re-using of older textiles and incorporating them in the designs of newly made larger items is a skill in itself. Here a whole herd of elephants is made made from matching fragments and are portrayed crossing a sun drenched landscape. Similar pieces using a variety of animals which play such an important part in Indian daily can be seen in the excellent text book "Traditional Indian Textiles" by John Gillow and Nicholas Barnard. Use it as a powerful wall hanging, table cover or a throw over a sofa or bench. Reference 3456. Size, approx. 270 x 190 cms or 6ft 3 inches. Euros 120.

CLOSE UP OF ONE CORNER. Each elephant is adorned with a sumptuous saddle cloth. All made from fragments.

OLD INDIAN TORAN DECORATION. Ceremony is a vital part of Indian life and every participant, human and otherwise, is decorated for the big day. The people, the dwelling, the animals and any form of transport all have their special attire. The "Toran" is used all over India and is a specially shaped textile which hangs over the door of the dwelling where the main event is celebrated. It is is made in the tradtional way, either new for the occasion or rejuvinated with fragments. This is an old example and shows the wealth of wild flowers of the region and the inevitable elephant in the distance. Reference 3454. Size 35 x 184 cms., or 14 x 72 inches. Euros 75.

CLOSE UP of the special shape of the Toran door hanging. Each piece which hangs down is embellished with a local design.

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REVERSE SIDE. The bag is woven as one long continuous piece, folded over and joined with the top left open for filling.

TURKOMAN STORAGE SACK which is very rare and dates from the first half of the 20th century. The bag is the work of Turkoman weavers from the village of Labijar in the far north of Afghanistan on the border with Turkmenistan. There are two villages separated by a canal which forms the border. The decorative work on both front and back of the bag (shown here) is very fine, varied and detailed. The original fastening loops at the top are present as is the top kilim border with its slits which allow the loops to close the bag when full. This will make an outstanding contribution to a collection of Turkoman work - I know of no similar piece and can not find anything in the rug literature which is related. Bought from a primitive rug shed on the Quetta to Kandahar road near Chaman in the mid 1980s. Reference 0297. Size 154 x 96 cms., or 5ft. 1ins. x 3ft. 2ins. Euros 1850.

THIS RARE SACK was found with a specialist dealer in Turkoman and Belouch work north of Quetta on the road to Kandahar back in the mid 1980s.