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The satins, velvets, bürümcük, muslins, coarse striped cottons, silk and cotton brocades, printed muslins, broadcloth, woollen cloth, shawls, waistbands, cicims, silis and sumaks, felts and countless other handmade textiles and rugs are almost forgotten. But kutnu is more fortunate than the rest, since in the Turkish province of Gaziantep a few elderly weavers are endeavouring to keep this traditional fabric alive. Kutnu is made of silk dyed with vegetable dyes, and is characterised by alternate shiny and matte stripes, and designs of various motifs, particularly flowers, Although rarely made of pure silk. |
Exported to USA
Kutnu has been woven in Gaziantep since the 16th century, and in the past many people all over Anatolia aspired to own a kaftan made from it.
Possessing both the elegance and magnificence suited to royal attire, it was worn by the Ottoman Sultans, and lengths of kutnu are frequently listed in palace registers of gifts presented to them. Kutnu's fame spread beyond the bounds of the Ottoman Empire to Europe and even America, as we see from its appearance in trade agreements with the United States. |
Immitations in Britain
Trade with Britain was also brisk, and when supplies of kutnu failed to keep up with demand British weavers unsuccessfully attempted to imitate it according to Pretextat Lecomte in Les Arts et Metieres de la Turquie de I'Orient, published in Paris in 1902.
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Kutnu has been woven in Anatolia since Seljuk times.
With its brilliant colours and patterns, kutnu adds to the colourful displays in Istanbul's Kapaliçarşi Grand Bazaar. |
Kutnu fabric has been woven since the 13th century, reaching
the highest production levels in the late 19th century, when exports flourished, Until the 1960s nearly three thousand looms were still weaving kutnu in the province of Gaziantep alone, but today the last surviving elderly weavers are striving to preserve this ancient traditional fabric from extinction. With demand buoyant there is reason to hope that they will succeed. |
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First the bobbins of warp thread are rewound into hanks, using a piece of equipment known as a devere. Next comes the dyeing, which is the most important stage, and today in Gaziantep just one dyer remains, Having been soaked in cauidrons of boiling dye and dried, the hanks are sent to craftsmen known as mezekçi, who check the thread for weak points and remove short fibres so that it does not break during weaving. The thread is then combed and is ready to be woven. Although traditionally woven on handlooms, this is both laborious and time-consuming, so most weavers use motorised looms today.
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These fabrics in diverse patterns are sold to drapers all over Turkey including those in the Kapaliçarşi or Covered Bazaar in Istanbul, where large quantities are sold to both local customers and tourists.
The different types of designs each have their own name, such as sultan, mecidiye, hindiye, kemha, darica, zincirli, sedefli and çiçekli. Golden yellow, which shows off the gloss of the fabric to maximum effect, is the predominant colour. Next comes red, followed by purple, green, maroon, blue and black. The colours, although bright, are combined with exquisite harmony, never clashing. In Gaziantep and many other places in Turkey, clothes made of kutnu are still preferred for special occasions, It is also used for folk dancing costumes, and even as furnishing fabrics for upholstery, cushion covers and curtains. |