Subject comparison from the cited registry. Date, attribution and rights qualifications remain below; not authentication or maker certification.
19th-century Qashqai kilim · Unknown tribal weaver; photograph by auction house (per Commons) · Public domain (per Wikimedia Commons) · Photo source ↗
Spelling and pronunciation
- Persian: گلیم
- Transliteration: gelim
- English usage: Kilim (flatweave)
Spellings vary between dealers, museums and regions. Usage notes are under review.
How the term is used
Means a flatwoven rug with no pile, usually made in slit-tapestry or interlocking technique.
Common confusions
Not a pile rug. Similar flatweaves include jajim and soumak.
Follow the coloured weft
Gelim or kilim commonly describes a flatwoven textile without knotted pile. Slit tapestry and interlocked joins organise colour boundaries differently. Specify the documented method instead of treating all flatweaves alike.
Both faces, ends and joins matter. Not every flatweave has slits and not every opening is original: damage and repair can resemble structural gaps. Shared motifs with a pile rug do not imply the same production process.
Compare the evidence
| Object or term | What to examine | Limit of the evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Slit tapestry | Separate colour wefts | Opening may be structural. |
| Interlocked join | Linked colour boundary | Not all kilims have slits. |
| Pile rug | Knot-based pile | Different construction. |
Practical questions
- Is a slit a defect?
- It may be structural; enlarged splits may be damage. Never tug the opening to test it.
Sources and further reading
- Encyclopaedia Iranica · Carpets
Weaving vocabulary and historical context; not object authentication or valuation.
Editorial draft awaiting specialist review. References provide context, not verification of every statement, object attribution or current workshop access.
Used in these crafts
A hand-knotted pile textile woven across Iran in city workshops, village looms and pastoral camps, distinguished by regional structure, palette and design vocabulary.