Old Re-Import Sarough | 285 x 210 cm | Nr. Z-2892

Lightly framed old Re-Import Sarough, light red with border and medallion

Origin	Persia
Dimensions	285 cm x 210 cm (= 5.985 m²)
Construction	hand-knotted
Material	Pile: wool (hand-spun, natural dyes) Weft & Warp: cotton
knots per m²2	160.000
Pile height	5mm
Year of manufacture	1930
Colour	Light red, rust red
Edition	one-of-a-kind piece

 

Origin

This rug comes from Sarough (also spelled Sarouk, Saruk or Sarogh). Sarough is one of the best-known rug-knotting regions in Iran. Located in the western Persian province of Aarak, it takes in the provenances Arak, Djozan, Ghiasabad, Mahal, Malayer, Mohajeran, Sultanabad and Wiss. Persian patterns of every kind are knotted in Sarough, in some cases to the buyer's own specifications. Weavers there are especially fond of the neighbouring Farahan designs, of their own Sultanabad patterns and of the so-called Mir-i-Boteh pattern made up of paisley motifs. Typical of this type of rug is the very good wool quality of the pile, as the new wool comes from the Persian highlands. The foundation – warp and weft – is, however, usually made of cotton. In old and antique rugs you will often find a blue weft thread. The knotting is very fine and the pile relatively high.

Especially sought after by collectors are the old and antique rugs of the Mahal and Malayer types that were knotted in Sarough between 1880 and 1930.

A special case in the art of rug knotting in Iran is the so-called American Sarough, knotted between 1900 and 1940 especially for the American market. The palette of the American Saroughs is pared back to rust, red and blue plus a few brown and beige tones, and they carry a floral pattern that usually does without a central medallion. In the 1970s these pieces became very popular in Iran as well and were re-imported there. Hence the name. Only a very few pieces then made their way from Iran to Europe. That makes the pieces first re-imported into Iran especially rare. This old Re-Import Sarough is around 90 years old and a real collector's piece.

 

Pattern

The decorated surround (border) forms a beautiful contrast to the centre and shapes the transition at the edge of the rug.

A lightly suggested border frames the edge of this rug.

The lavish floral motifs of this Re-Import Sarough are elegantly drawn and full of variety. The graceful plant symbols, depicting blossoms, leaves and branches, are artfully intertwined.

In the middle of the central field of this Re-Import Sarough lies the symmetrical centre, also known as the medallion. The design of the field is subordinate to the medallion, so that the medallion seems to float on the field.

The background of this Re-Import Sarough is light red. The border is worked in rust red and dark blue. In the rust-red centre, dark blue and light brown are combined.

 

Condition

This Re-Import Sarough already had admirers before you. It was hand-knotted around 1930. It has been thoroughly cleaned and is in good but unrestored condition. All in all there are 4 tears to report, from 3cm to 7cm. One area also differs markedly in colour from the rest, because a repair was carried out there at some point. After washing, the wool lost more of its colour in that spot. Re-dyeing it would not take much effort if you wish, but it would have a wonderful effect. We have not restored this Re-Import Sarough, because we feel it has a special charm just as it is. If that is what you would like, we will of course be happy to restore the rug for you. Either way, this Re-Import Sarough will give you pleasure for decades to come.

 

Material

The technique used to make the materials for the pile of this Re-Import Sarough is over 200 years old. The wool was dyed with natural dyes and spun by hand. Dyeing with natural or plant dyes is more complicated, more expensive and more time-consuming than dyeing with chemical colours. For a luminous red, for example, you need around one kilo of ground madder root as dyestuff per kilo of wool. For a strong yellow that is not too pale, you even need two kilograms of weld dye per kilo of wool. Spinning the wool is time-consuming and labour-intensive as well. And fewer and fewer people still master the art of spinning wool by hand.

But the effort is worth it: because it is dyed with natural colours, the high-quality wool keeps its natural lanolin content. Wool dyed with natural colours and spun by hand creates fascinating, shifting patterns. The charm of hand-spun wool, with its slight irregularities and natural shades, comes into its own as a contrast in modern interiors, but also in rooms furnished in a more traditional or country style. The weft and warp threads of this Re-Import Sarough are made of cotton. This versatile material is tear-resistant and elastic, which makes it especially suited to a hard-wearing foundation weave.