In the museum.

One of the bags of a set of ‘heybe’ (saddle bag: two flat bags united by a plain middle part with a split).
The central rhombic motif is a ‘nazarlık’ (= amulet), protection against evil eye. In the corners stand four similar motifs; all five ‘nazarlik’ have a white frame called ‘pıtrak’ (burdock), which is a symbol of abundance (in Turkish, the term ‘pıtrak gibi/like a burdock’ means: full of flowers or fruits).

Generally the outer parts of the saddle bag are decorated with decorative weaving (flat-woven or knotted pile).
In the ‘heybe’ on the picture, the technique used is ‘cicim’: on a plain woven underground, a second horizontal coloured weft strand (thicker than the one used for the underground) creates the decorative design, in which diagonal lines dominate. The thickness of the second weft strand causes the impression of a second layer on top of the woven underground, which is – technically spoken – not the case. The technique is sometimes referred to as ‘brocading’. Many cicim-weaves are from Yörük origin, and 100% wool (no cotton warp used).

Correspondent: J.M.Criel, Antwerpen.
Sources: The Kavak Collection of Anatolian Rugs and Weaves, Antwerpen/Belgium.
‘Kilim catalogue’ – Güran Erbek (DÖSÍM - Kültür Bakanlığı/Ministry of Culture
& ‘Günaydın Anadolu – Tradities van Turkije’ – cataloog Tentoonstelling Hessenhuis/Antwerpen 1988.