Ziegler | 380cm x 303cm | No. 17198

Floral Ziegler, rusty red patternd with central medallion and border

Place of origin

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

The region around the city of Sultanabad developed into an important center for the knotting of Persian export rugs. The rugs known as Ziegler-Mahal or simply Ziegler were knotted in the surrounding villages, based on western color and pattern specifications. The mixture of European design guidelines in lighter, calmer colors and classical patterns in the style of Farahan and Sultanabad rugs was very well received in Europe.

The success was huge and Ziegler rugs became an international quality mark. The exquisite flow of the multi-petalled flowers is particularly impressive in Ziegler rugs. Well-preserved antique Ziegler rugs achieve record prices today, especially in the USA. For some years now, these antique Ziegler designs have been reknotted with high quality in Pakistan or India.

The newly reproduced Ziegler rugs made of hand-spun wool, dyed with natural colors are part of a revival of hand-knotted rugs. The return to traditional techniques began in the early 1980s, driven, among other things, by the so-called DOBAG initiative. Initially, reproduction concentrated on Ziegler rugs, as described above. Eventually, the reproduction of almost all traditional Persian patterns began. This resulted in the adaptation of antique rugs, as well as contemporary designs that carry the charm of an antique rug.

Patterns

The luxuriant flower motifs of this Ziegler are elegant and varied. The graceful vegetative symbols representing flowers, leaves and branches are artfully intertwined.

The embellished edging (border) forms a glorious contrast to the center and creates a transition at the edge of the rug.

The recurring pattern (so-called repeating pattern) flatters the design of the room and does not take attention away from the furniture, the decoration and architectural elements. It blends in fantastically with any surroundings and subtly complements the interior design of a room.. In this Ziegler the repeating elements give way to the symmetrical medallion in the center of the panel.

The abstract, geometric composition creates the simple elegance of this Ziegler. The pattern flatters the design of the room and does not take the attention away from its furniture, decoration and architectural elements. It creates a pleasant atmosphere without dominating the style of the room.

The background of this Ziegler is rusty red. The border features rusty red and yellow beige.

Material

The technique used to produce the materials of the pile of this Ziegler is over 200 years old. The wool is dyed with natural colors and spun by hand. Dyeing with natural or vegetable dyes is more complicated, expensive and time-consuming than dyeing with chemical dyes. For a bright red, for example, you would need about one kilogram of ground madder root per kilogram of wool as dye. For a strong, not too pale yellow, you would need two kilograms of the dye madder per kilogram of wool. Also spinning wool is time-consuming and labor-intensive. In addition, fewer and fewer people are able to hand spin wool.

But the effort is worth it: By dyeing with natural dyes, the high-quality wool retains its natural fat content. Wool dyed with natural colors and spun by hand creates fascinating, iridescent patterns. The charm of hand-spun wool with its slight irregularities and natural hues unfolds as a contrasting element in modern interiors, but also in rooms that are furnished in a more traditional or country house style. The weft and warp threads of this Ziegler are made of cotton. This versatile material is tear-resistant and stretchable and, therefore, ideal for a durable backing fabric.