A rare Ziegler Sultanabad carpet
Persian, late 19th century.
20ft 9in x 10ft 10in : 634cm x 330cm
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 design for this carpet has been applied to a rare old gold background. Of note is the exceptionally beautiful border, again with a rare green ground. The narrow proportions would indicate a special commission order.
Literature: Arto Keshishian, Ziegler and Their Carpets, 1995
