Gallery
20th April - 22. May 2004  ANATOLIA - Early Textile Art 17th - 19th century

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ANATOLIA - Early Textile Art from 17th - 19th century Due to the Anatolian tradition of donating flat weaves and carpets to mosques, more textile artefacts have survived over centuries in Anatolia than in any other part of the world. Village rugs and carpets, in particular kilims from the 17th-19th century excel by their dazzling colours and archaic symbols, following ancient patterns. Symbolic motifs survived almost without any modifications until the 19th century, because the traditional kilim was never subject to any trendy economical dictates. Several examples from the 14th century (carbon dated) and from similar regions give evidence of this continuity. Patterns and colours of non-commercial village rugs also indicate a very long tradition. The gallery is presenting more than twenty valuable museum pieces, giving evidence of this almost forgotten culture: the oldest exhibit is half of a Hotamish kilim from the 17th century. I have not seen the other half nor any similar pieces. Some other outstanding exhibits are a Saf kilim (ca. 1800) from the Sivas region, long pile rugs from Kappadokia (18th cent.), and Kurdish carpets from Central Anatolia (18th cent.) You will enjoy these and many more exceptional 17th-19th century exhibits from various collections and from holdings of the gallery KELIM.