| Subject | : | Balikesir Pile and Kilim Rug |
| Author | : | Steve Price |
| Date | : | 03-28-2000 on 09:27 a.m. |
sprice@hsc.vcu.edu
Dear Anyone, The Balikesir pile and kilim rug shown in Jenny's Salon is an
interesting item.  It appears to be mostly kilim with a horizontal band of pile
extending across its width every few inches. This strikes me as an odd
structure. Does anyone know its history or significance? Do the horizontal
pile bands give it some useful property? The only other textiles with even
remotely similarly arranged flatweave/pile stripes that I can think of are
the Tekke ak-juvals and related items. Steve Price |
| Subject | : | RE:Balikesir Pile and Kilim Rug |
| Author | : | Michael Wendorf |
| Date | : | 03-28-2000 on 12:40 p.m. |
| Dear Steve: It seems to me the rug in question is a copy or, alternatively, a modern version of a so-called primitive rug published by John Wertime in Hali 100. This is probably an old traditional type weaving of the area used for sleeging or other local use. I don't have the reference materials in front of me, but if you go to the article I believe you will find a near identical version with more deeply saturated color. Michael |
| Subject | : | RE:Balikesir Pile and Kilim Rug |
| Author | : | Patrick Weiler |
| Date | : | 03-29-2000 on 09:16 a.m. |
| jpweil00@gte.net Steve, There are weavings from Morocco which share this unusual construction. One version, called Agrtil and Tapis De Terre, (for "carpets of the earth") is shown in the book KILIM The Complete Guide. It is woven of wool and palm fronds, the loose ends of which are left on the bottom for extra insulation. The book also shows a Beni Ouarain Tahddun flatweave with long strands of wool, almost hair-like, loose on the front. It was made for wearing as a shawl. I have seen other Moroccan rugs with flatweave interspersed with pile more like the example shown. You are probably correct that there was most likely a reason for this construction. The old gabbeh technique of multiple wefts between rows of pile had the property of being a relatively light fabric with superior insulating characteristics. Patrick Weiler |
| Subject | : | RE:Balikesir Pile and Kilim Rug |
| Author | : | Steve Price |
| Date | : | 03-29-2000 on 10:21 a.m. |
| sprice@hsc.vcu.edu Actually, the structure is very similar to that of filiki (tulu), except that filikli have pile that is so long it hides the space between rows. And it, too, is a sleeping rug. Steve Price |