and most importantly very fine, thin yarns. In creating their designs, Anatolian weavers seem to have accepted the natural limitations of the material and technique instead of working against them. They developed a design repertoire that was essentially rectilinear, geometric, and nonrepresentational or abstract as seen on the examples in the exhibition, while the original inspiration for the designs probably came from the natural world around them. The artistry of kilims is in every element of their making. The mastery began with beautifully dyed wool and the use of saturated colors. The weavers cleverly selected and paired traditional motifs built with triangular and hexagonal forms. They balanced Figure 5: Kilim, Central Anatolia, Konya, 18th century. Wool; slit tapestry weave, weft-faced plain weave, supplementaryweft wrapping for outlines, eccentric weft. The Textile Museum 2013.2.63, The Megalli Collection. Dimensions (warp × weft): 404 × 96.5 cm (159 × 38 inches). Warp horizontal.
11