Ziegler | 202 cm x 150 cm | Nr. Z-1481

Mottled Ziegler, rust red with border

Origin	Egypt
Dimensions	202 cm x 150 cm (= 3.03 m²)
Construction	hand-knotted
Material	Pile: wool Weft & Warp: cotton
knots per m²2	160.000
Pile height	5mm
Year of manufacture	2005
Colour	Rust red, blue-grey
Edition	one-of-a-kind piece

Origin

In 1883, a Swiss merchant by the name of Ziegler founded an English import house called Company Messrs. Ziegler & Co. Ltd. in Manchester, England, and at the same time a rug manufactory in Sultanabad (today Arak, Iran) in the Mahallat region.

This is one reason why the area around the city of Sultanabad grew into an important centre for knotting Persian export rugs. The rugs known as Ziegler-Mahal, or simply Ziegler, were knotted in the surrounding villages to Western specifications for colour and pattern. This mixture of European design briefs in a lighter, calmer palette with classic patterns in the style of Farahan and Sultanabad rugs went down very well in Europe.

The success was enormous, and Ziegler rugs became an international mark of quality. The exquisite flow of the many-petalled flowers is particularly impressive in Ziegler rugs. Well-preserved antique Ziegler rugs fetch record prices today – above all in the USA. For some years now, these antique Ziegler designs have been re-knotted in high quality in Pakistan and India.

The newly issued Ziegler rugs, made from hand-spun wool dyed with natural colours, are part of a revival of hand-knotted rugs. This return to traditional techniques began in the early 1980s, driven not least by the so-called DOBAG initiative. At first the reproductions focused on the Ziegler rugs described above. In time, almost every traditional Persian pattern was being reproduced. The result: adaptations of antique rugs alongside contemporary designs with the charm of an antique piece.

Pattern

The edge of the rug is framed by a surround (border). The border forms a splendid contrast to the centre.

The surface of this Ziegler has a mottled look. The shifts in tone and the light-and-dark shading of the pile yarn make the colours shimmer and keep the rug forgiving of dirt. These so-called colour variations, abrash, give the rug a livelier appearance. The mottling comes about because the wool of this Ziegler was hand-spun. During dyeing, the natural dyes are absorbed to differing degrees.

The background of this Ziegler is rust red. The border is worked in rust red, blue-grey and beige-yellow.

Condition

This Ziegler has a story to tell. It was hand-knotted around 2005. It has been cleaned thoroughly and is in good but unrestored condition. We have not restored this Ziegler because we feel it has a special charm just as it is. If you would like us to, we will of course gladly restore the rug for you. Either way, this Ziegler will bring you joy for decades to come.

Material

The pile of this Ziegler 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 range of impressive properties: thanks to the natural lanolin in the wool, the surface repels droplets of water and is 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 Ziegler are made of cotton. This versatile material is tear-resistant and elastic, which makes it particularly well suited to a hard-wearing foundation.