Ardebil | 105 x 72 cm | Nr. 12-469816

Ardebil, dark blue

Origin

Ardebil is the birthplace and also the burial site of the Safavid dynasty (1501 to 1722), which mattered so much to Persia and to the art of rug knotting. This rather modest provincial town today owes its fame to the so-called Ardebil rug from the mosque of Ardebil, knotted in the 16th century and bought in the second half of the 19th century by the German Oscar Strauß on behalf of the Ziegler company.

Traditional Ardebil rugs are predominantly geometric in design and show Caucasian influences. They are, however, easy to tell apart from Caucasian rugs. The pile wool is less lustrous and drier than the wool of Caucasian pieces. Most Ardebils also have a cotton foundation (weft & warp). Floral patterns occur only in exceptional cases, and then mostly in geometricised form.

Material

The pile of this Ardebil was hand-knotted from high-quality new wool. New wool is obtained by gently shearing sheep. It is a renewable, natural raw material with a range of impressive properties: thanks to the wool's natural lanolin content, the surface repels droplets of water and is therefore naturally protected against dirt. Wool also offers excellent thermal insulation, helps regulate the indoor climate and dampens sound.