Antique Sarough | 147 x 102 cm | Nr. Z-2896

Antique Sarough

Delivery time	2 days
Origin	Persia
Dimensions	147 cm x 102 cm (= 1.5 m²)
Construction	hand-knotted
Material	Pile: wool (hand-spun, natural dyes)
knots	160.000
Condition	pre-owned, cleaned & partially restored
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.

This antique Sarough is a collector's piece. It is around 106 years old, and that alone makes it a truly special find. Antique rugs such as this Sarough are as sought after as ever and fetch top prices at renowned auction houses.

Material

The technique used to prepare the materials for the pile of this Antique Sarough is more than 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 per kilo of wool. Spinning the wool is labour-intensive and time-consuming too. And fewer and fewer people still master the art of spinning wool by hand.

But the effort is worth it: dyeing with natural colours allows the high-quality wool to keep its natural oil content. Wool that has been dyed with natural colours and spun by hand creates fascinating, shimmering 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 equally in rooms furnished in a more traditional or country style.

The weft and warp threads of this Antique Sarough are made of cotton. This versatile material is tear-resistant and pliable, which makes it particularly suitable for a hard-wearing foundation weave.

Condition

This Antique Sarough has had admirers before you. It was knotted around 106. It has been thoroughly cleaned and is in good but only partly restored condition. The pile is worn. The fringes could do with a repair. About a fifth of one of the edges is also in need of repair. We have not fully restored this Antique Sarough, because we feel it has a special charm just as it is. If that is what you would like, we will of course happily take the restoration further for you. We can return almost any rug to a near-perfect condition.