Collectors and dealers of antique kilims say the uninitiated should open one of the many books on the subject and visit museums exhibiting these rugs before their first purchase.
Linda Miller, who owns Kilim, a New York antique rug shop, says once you’ve gleaned as much information as you can from books, articles and dealers, keep the following in mind when selecting your first rug.
– Kilims 60 years old or older have a bolder palette than those made in later years because the wool yarns were colored with vegetable dyes. “With the vegetable dyes the wool takes the color in and there is a more lasting, stronger color,” Miller says. “This is not always true with chemical dyes, which can lose their color in time.”
By the 1920s, synthetic and chemical dyes were being used and the colors were more subdued. But, Miller says, kilim weavers did not stop using vegetable dyes entirely. They sometimes combined vegetable with synthetic dyes. Most collectors favor vegetable-dyed kilims.
– Some wear, if not tear, will be seen in the handwoven designs. Remember, kilims were not used only as a decorative accessory for the home. Nomads slept and ate on them and used them as prayer mats. They were also used as coverings and throws for horses.
– Miller says guessing the age of a kilim can be tricky but texture and color help give a time frame.
– The older the piece, the softer the wool appear.
– Prices depend on size, condition and age. Prices for antique kilims range from $2,000 to $20,000. Exceptional pieces have gone for as much as $50,000.
Some identifying features about kilims:
– Mihrab, which is used for prayer, is long, narrow, geometric and colorful.
– Sarkoys, which can be as large as 11 by 13 feet, are from the Balkans. These are the largest and most difficult to find.
– Senneh uses thinner wool and a tighter weave with a silky texture.
Soumak has a flat weave with layers of horizontal threads for acoarser texture.
