a rare handwoven rug runner from North Sinai in Egypt, Middle Eastern kilim, traditional bedouin rug, ethnic, vintage, collector's item

This kilim runner is a beautiful example of the traditional art of handweaving from North Sinai in Egypt. It is made of wool and was purchased in Cairo in the early 1980s. It would have been painstakingly woven by hand in a nomadic bedouin community and then stitched together with 3 or 4 other similar strips to make a large rug. To achieve the decorative geometric effect, brightly coloured woollen threads have been woven into the body of what is a traditional kilim rug. The photo of the reverse side of the runner shows how this was done.

The Sinai bedouin are nomads and such rugs are made as furnishings for their desert tents. An example of a complete rug can be seen at
https://www.etsy.com/listing/657236467?ref=shop_home_active_76&frs=1

These beautiful decorative rugs are very rare now. Bedouin handweaving is a dying art, as traditional nomadic lifestyles in the Middle East are being rapidly eroded. The process has been hastened in the Sinai peninsula by the current insecurity, including terrorist attacks.

The piece is in very good condition, with only natural blemishes apart from a few light stains at one point in the middle (as shown in the last photo). It would make a stunning addition to a hallway or corridor, or could be used to complement an ethnic decor, perhaps as a chair covering or wall hanging. Alternatively it could be cut into 2 or 3 strips and stitched together to make a rectangular rug.


length: 300 metres plus fringe of approx 50 cms
width: 38-43 cms
weight: approx 2.4 kgs

As the rug weighs more than 2 kgs, overseas shipping will be expensive. Please contact me for details.