EASTERN EUROPE, CIRCA 1870

The term ‘Bessarabian’ is used to denote kilims woven in the Russian regions of the Ukraine and Moldova, as well as Eastern Europe. Many Bessarabian kilims are woven with a brown or black ground decorated with naturalistic floral designs, responding to the tastes of Western Europe (Sherill, 1996, p. 286, pls. 299 and 300). Unlike the softer tones of some of the Western style kilims, our kilim has a bold palette woven with an array of vibrant pinks, blues and oranges on a sunny-yellow ground. With its charming floral and animal details, it is no wonder that Bessarabian kilims have been described as “decorators’ darlings” (Hali, issue 128, May-June 2003, p. 130). A closely comparable kilim was illustrated in Hali with Zadah Persian Carpets in 1983, vol. 5, no. 3, p. 318.