Isparta striped star kilim rug - extra large

A rhythmic composition of stylised stars and tonal stripes in warm hues of ochre and terracotta; this beautiful kilim rug is made by hand using fine hand-spun wool. Soft and warm underfoot, the generously sized rug would make a wonderful floor covering to bring colour and pattern to an open-plan living space.

A carrier of visual narrative and collective memory, each rug features symbolic patterns, their powerful meanings woven into the fabric of the piece. The star, or yildiz, represents happiness, good fortune and guidance. The evil eye, or nazarlik, is a protective emblem that functions as a shield against the ancient curse of a malevolent glare.

Kilim rugs carry the fingerprint of their maker, with each element from weave to geometric alignment, dye tones to decorative design, bearing the hallmarks of the region where the rug was made and the textile traditions of that area. This rug was made in Isparta, a town in the Antalya region of southern Turkey. Antalya has a rich, multi-layered history of flatweave kilim and pile carpet making, deeply tied to nomadic Turkmen traditions and later 19th-century commercial revivals of the craft.

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. As traditional kilim weaving is in decline and much of the generational knowledge is at risk of being lost, authentic rugs such as these are ever more highly prized.

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