A Ziegler Sultanabad carpet

Persia, circa 1890

11ft 10in  x  9ft 3in    :   360cm  x  282cm

In 1876, the Manchester-based Swiss firm of Ziegler and Co., became the first European concern to establish their own looms in Sultanabad, Persia, for the production of carpets specifically to the Western markets.

The designs used were mainly repeated all-over patterns, though Ziegler used principles of architectural proportions to make the motifs much larger and incorporated wide borders, thus keeping a balance with the scale of a room.

The bold open design for this carpet, with enlarged palmettes, sickle leaves and connecting stems, upon a soft brick background with touches of greyish green throughout. Of additional note is the exceptionally beautiful border of rare light blue tones and retaining original ends.