Beautiful Red Balkan Kilim - $250 (Scarborough)

This kilim was made in Serbia, judging by the design. It has seen light use in a pet-free, smoke-free home and is in excellent condition. Tightly woven, it may be handmade, speculation based on uneven fringe and the inconsistent arrangement of the love diamonds forming a border. The diamond motif symbolizes love, the white and black may have to do with birds, while the triangles are hard to interpret apart from the blue center which is meant to protect against the evil eye. The colors are bright red, black, white, blue green, and brown. It is clean and has no holes, stains or tears but there are a few small worn spots on one side noted with the ruler. It measures approximately 62 inches by 34 inches, excluding the fringe. Because it is handmade, the edges vary slightly and an exact measurement is not possible. Below is some general information about kilims for your information. Check out our other items that are up now! Look at the pictures carefully, please. If you have questions, or would like more photos, let us know. Thanks for looking! We can meet you in the greater Portland/York County areas almost any day! Cash only please, no returns. Kilims are flat woven wool floor coverings. They have no pile in contract to carpets and rugs. They are reversable, meaning the pattern and colors are the same on both sides. Kilims are made by tightly interweaving the warp and weft threads. They are durable and come in many sizes and designs. Typically, those designs are traditional an reflect symbolically Traditionally, they are handmade used for many purposes. Today they are not only used as floor coverings but also as wall hanging decorations, bed covers, furniture covers, saddle blankets, prayer mats, pillow covers and even handbags. The motifs on traditional kilims represent ideas and are derived from symbols intended to ward off evil or communicate something. They are generally found in the region stretching from North Africa through the Balkans, the Caucasus, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Central Asia, and Mongolia, all the way to China. Most often, the dyes used in making them come from natural sources such as vegetables and trees, especially in the older ones. They tend to have fringe on both ends.