Description
The colours—primarily deep red, cobalt blue, ochre, and ecru—derive from natural plant and animal dyes, such as madder, indigo, and saffron. The weaving technique is traditional kilim flat weave, producing a clear two-dimensional surface without knots. Motifs repeated in the border panels include stylised crosses, indicating the Christian identity of the Greeks of Alaya; bereketia and vegetal forms, symbols of abundance and domestic fertility; and lightning/hooks (spiralling motifs) frequently encountered in carpets of south-west Asia Minor.
This carpet is a representative document of the weaving tradition of the Greeks of Alaya, where weaving was a predominantly female art, closely associated with the dowry and the daily life of the household. Its preservation records not only the community’s aesthetic sensibility, but also the skill of the women who wove—handing down memories and techniques from generation to generation.
Preserved from the home of Gesthimani Ouzounoglou in Alaya. During the departure (8–9 October 1922), Gesthimani used the carpet as a bundle, gathering certain essential items. Shortly before boarding the escape ship, a Turkish soldier pierced the carpet twice with his dagger to check for hidden gold coins. The two expertly executed repairs on the right constitute a historical testimony to expulsion and blind violence.
Donated to the collection of the Alaya Association by her granddaughter Sofia Margoni, it is exhibited at the ALAYA Cultural Centre.
