KILIMS
These weaves were constructed with two sets of threads by crossing them at 90-degree angles. In these
weaves the perpendicular threads are called the warp and the horizontal threads the weft. This technique
was first used for making cloth, but at the same time it set the foundation for weaving kilims. All of these
productions are referred to as "flat weaves" Wooden or metal combs were used to push the weft down, so
these weaves are called "combed weaves".
The etymological root the word "kilim" is not known exactly but it has be seen in the Turkish language since
the 13th century. The word "kilim" is misused in other languages to refer to all flat weaves other than rugs.
However, the word "kilim" is only a name for a weaving technique. Among kilims there are different makes,
including "cicim", "zili" and "sumak". For centuries, these different designs were traditionally passed down
from mother to daughter. Turkey is the only country in the world that has preserved all the different
techniques.
These weaves are made by tribe members or by villagers for daily needs. They are named after tribes,
families, villages and towns that they are made in, or even after the motifs used on them. The Yoruks and
Turkomans have also placed their tribal signatures among the patterns, making these weaves cultural
objects as well. According to the latest research, these motifs reflect all the rich cultural heritage of Anatolia,
and for that reason each motif is a symbol or interoperation of the values that were created by people from
different cultures.
The common aspect of kilims is the technical manner in which they are produced, which influences the
shapes of the patterns. For this reason, the motifs were strongly stylized and were changed into geometrical
forms.
Kilims are made in different colors, designs, and compositions and it is possible to find them in various sizes.
In different parts of Turkey, kilims are woven with several different combinations of materials, such as all
wool, wool and cotton, or all silk.
This group of weaves is often used in contemporary decorations in various locations, making them at the
same time valuable objects in the field of art. For this reason, it is also proper to talk about the art of kilims in
Anatolia as an art which is distinct from the art of rug-making.
SOUMAKS
More intricate patterning can be done by wrapping colored yarns around the warps--usually single
warps or pairs. Most commonly, rows of this pattern-yarn wrapping alternate with thin, plain-weave
ground wefts. Because the technique is time-consuming, it has frequently been used for bags and
other small, sturdy weavings. Soumak wrapping most often covers entire surfaces, although
occasionally figures are scattered about on open, plain-weave fabrics. Exquisite examples come from
the Caucasus, from northwestern Iran, and from a few other areas. Kurdish weavers in eastern
Turkey have sometimes produced weftless soumak bags--with no intervening ground wefts.
Variations in soumak structures occur when the direction of wrapping is altered, or when the weaver
outlines her design in diagonal directions. Sometimes the yarn segments are offset; other times the
structure is reversed, so that the usual back side serves instead as the front. There are few design
restrictions with these techniques, and so motifs have often been borrowed from other weaving
traditions. The hooked motif on the soumak Shahsevan mafrash (bedding bag) panel above is an old
standard slit-tapestry kilim design.
