This subtly-toned wool kilim (a flatweave rug) is from the Balkan region of Thrace in western Turkey. It is from a collection of eight rugs and nomadic trappings representing the main carpet-producing regions of Asia - ie from western Turkey through Iran into Central Asia. The collection was given to the Powerhouse Museum to emphasise the significance of the Museum's rug collection and to encourage its growth, as well as to acknowledge the achievements of the Oriental Rug Society of NSW, an affiliated society of the Museum. The collection documents many of the purposes for which rugs and trappings are made, including floor coverings and tent partitions.

The history of the Balkans is one of a meeting of cultures. Occupation by the Ottoman Turks lasted, in some areas, for over 500 years and when they eventually withdrew, much of their culture remained behind. The label Thracian covers an area which includes Bulgaria and parts of Turkey and is a geographic demarcation rather than a political one. There is a long history of the production of pile carpets in the area and various kinds of flatweaves over the last couple of centuries. The name 'Sarkoy', when applied to kilims, refers to a Serbian town on the Bulgarian border (now called Pirot) which has a documented tradition of kilim weaving.

Sarkoy kilim, wool, tapestry woven, Thrace / western Turkey, 1880-1910

A rectangular flatweave rug (kilim), tapestry woven with wool on woollen warps. The kilim has a strong geometric pattern predominantly made up of triangles, with three large diamonds in the field delineated through the use of colour. At either end of the field is a deep zig-zag patterned band, while triangles set point to point form the four borders. The ends of the kilim are gently scalloped and the fringe is the knotted wool warp. The palette, made up of light blue, dark blue, mustard and yellow, is soft and subdued.

Kilims are flatweave rugs which can be made using several different weaving techniques. This Sarkoy kilim is tapestry woven, in which the dyed wefts are discontinuous, ie they do not extend from selvedge to selvedge but are inserted in blocks of colour to form the design. The wefts meet and separate at colour junctions and, in Sarkoy kilims like this one, slits between the colours are avoided by using a substantial number of diagonal lines. Wool is used for both warp and weft.

Kilims use less material to make than pile rugs and are usually quicker to produce and less costly. They were generally made as utilitarian floor coverings, bag, trappings and draperies.

The kilim comes from the private collection of the donor, Dr George Soutter, and was selected as representative of Western Turkey in the gift of eight rugs and trappings.

Gift of Dr George Soutter under the Australian Gov

2004/136/5

1880

1080 mm