Indian Sarough | 290 x 195 cm | Nr. Z-653

Floral Indian Sarough, rust red with border and medallion

Origin	India
Dimensions	290 cm x 195 cm (= 0.59 m²)
Construction	hand-knotted
Material	Pile: wool Weft & Warp: cotton
knots per m²2	250.000
Pile height	12mm
Year of manufacture	2010
Colour	Rust red
Edition	one-of-a-kind piece

Origin

The pattern of this rug is inspired by the patterns of classic Sarough rugs. This particular rug, however, was knotted in India.

Exactly when rug production began in India is unknown. The first rugs were probably made there during the cultural flowering of the Mughal dynasty in the middle of the 16th century. In the middle of the 19th century, with the decline of the Mughal dynasty, Indian rug production slipped into crisis. European companies whose only aim was export to the West took the place of the traditional court manufactories. Very similar rugs were produced in different towns, and standardisation set in. Today the designs of hand-knotted Indian rugs can hardly be assigned to individual regions any more. Instead, the workshops have specialised in realising European and traditional Iranian designs adapted to Western taste. In terms of quality, rugs from India benefit from the long tradition of craftsmanship and the high quality of Indian materials. This rug comes from Sarough (also written Sarouk, Saruk or Sarogh). Sarough is one of Iran's best-known rug-knotting areas. Situated in the west 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 part also to the buyer's specifications. Particularly popular are the neighbouring Farahan designs as well as the region's own Sultanabad designs and the so-called Mir-i-Boteh pattern made up of paisley motifs. Typical of this class of rug is the very good wool quality of the pile, since the new wool comes from the Persian highlands. The foundation – warp and weft – is usually made of cotton, however. In old and antique rugs you will often find a blue weft thread. The knotting is very fine and the pile relatively high.

Pattern

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

At the heart of this Sarough's central field lies the symmetrical centrepiece, 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 lavish floral motifs of this Sarough are elegant and wonderfully varied. The graceful plant symbols, depicting blossoms, leaves and branches, are artfully intertwined.

The background of this Sarough is rust red. The border is worked in dark blue and rust red. In the dark blue centre, cream white and rust red are combined.

Condition

This Sarough has had admirers before you. The fringes could do with a repair. It was hand-knotted around 2010. We have cleaned it thoroughly and lovingly restored it. Despite its age, it is therefore in very good condition.

Material

The pile of this Sarough was hand-knotted from high-quality new wool. New wool is obtained by gently shearing sheep. New wool is a renewable, natural raw material with a number of impressive properties: thanks to the wool's natural lanolin content, the surface repels droplets of water and is thus naturally protected against dirt. Wool also offers excellent thermal insulation, helps regulate the indoor climate and dampens sound. The weft and warp threads of this Sarough are made of cotton. This versatile material is tear-resistant and elastic and therefore particularly well suited to a hard-wearing foundation.