Gümüşhane flower kilim pouffe

Characterful stylised flowers adorn this one-of-a-kind pouffe, meticulously woven against a muted rose-pink background to create a stylish hand-crafted piece imbued with ancient handcraft tradition.

The pouffe features traditional, regional motifs replete with meaning; the flower, or çiçek, represents nature, growth, and abundance, while the cross, or haç, design is believed to reduce the power of an evil glance by dividing it into four pieces.

Featuring unique variations in weave, geometric alignment, dye tones and regional design, each piece carries the heritage of the place where it was made, a fingerprint of the weaver. This pouffe was made in Gümüşhane, located in the northeastern Black Sea region of Turkey, known for a distinctive traditional flat-tapestry style of flatweave.

Kilim weaving was traditionally practised by women using techniques passed from mother to daughter, working without drawing boards or fixed templates, making each piece a unique expression of the maker’s artistry. This pouffe is made using the slitweave method, a warp-sharing technique that enables the creation of reversible kilims with complex designs. The looping and sharing of strands in the weaving process results in small slits appearing at the borders of the designs, giving the process its name.

Lightweight and easy to move around, the pouffe has a zipped liner allowing the filling to be topped up over time. The kilim weave covers all sides except for the base.

Selected by the V&A, each piece has been sourced and professionally cleaned by a specialist partner.