Extra large High Quality Antique Turkish Handmade Wool Milas Rug.
Size: L.3.70cm X W.2.47cm
Milas Rugs (also spelled Melas) – Turkish rugs produced in the district of Milas are unique in their style and composition. The area around Mugla Province was a holdout for Turkmen enclaves. These people followed a semi-nomadic lifestyle, used natural dye-stuffs and incorporated a stunning variety of angular botanical motifs and symbols into the carpets they wove. Antique Milas rugs feature a unique composition that includes broad, prominent borders that result in a comparatively narrow field. Multiple borders rendered in contrasting colors are often featured in these classical Turkish rugs. The color palette tends toward warm, earthy hues that are produced with vegetable dyes.
Early Milas rugs created in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries featured an angular, geometric style that was full of ancient symbols and abstract botanical motifs. By the late 19th century, a second style evolved. This change was spurred largely by outside influences. Imperial powers in Hereke affected the Turkish style profoundly as did European demand for fine exports. Later baroque rugs incorporated curvilinear arabesques and delicate floral motifs that were more recognizable to the western eye. The colors also became more saturated and varied compared to the soft, warm hues featured in earlier Milas rugs. These formal carpets are traditional, rustic and beautifully styled. The classical Turkmen appearance of antique Milas rugs works equally well in contemporary and old-world interiors.