Adopt a Kilim

The Anatolian kilim weaving tradition is tremendously important in the overall context of oriental rugs and textiles.  Kilims are one of the earliest forms of weaving in the region, and their bold colors and compelling geometries have had a tremendous influence on rug and textile designs in Turkey and beyond.

Josephine Powell is an ethnographer, scholar and photographer who has personally chronicled the tribal weaving traditions of Anatolia.  She is setting up a foundation called The Center for Anatolian Ethnography and Textile Studies in Istanbul to preserve her collections and archives in Turkey.  This will ensure that these valuable resources are available to future generations of scholars.

A critical part of this project is funding the conservation of the kilims she collected over the past 50 years.  Though partially completed, there are still many more kilims that need to be cleaned and conserved.  A recent exhibition in Istanbul of the first phase of this work opened to great acclaim, and additional pieces will be on view at the 11th International Conference on Oriental Carpets in Istanbul, April 19-27, 2007.

You can help by "adopting" a kilim.  Your donation will fund the cleaning and conservation of a piece you select.  Please click here to learn more and to see a gallery of kilims available for adoption.

Click below to see the kilim that The Seattle Textile and Rug Society adopted to support this important clause.