Rug | |
Made in | Medium |
Shipping | Wool |
Condition | Persian |
Brief
History of Mahal Sultanabad rugs.
Sultanabad
and Mahal rugs are produced in the area around the city of Arak, which has a
history of rug weaving dating back to the mid-17th Century. The city was
originally founded in 1808 as Sultanabad and later in 1930 was renamed to the
city of Arak. The city is older than these dates might indicate. The term
Sultanabad has come to distinguish the oldest and highest quality Mahal
carpets, also known as Ziegler Mahals, named after a British firm in
Manchester, founded in 1883 that supervised the production for exports to the
West. Most Sultanabad and Mahal rugs have bold and floral designs, whether they
utilize classical medallion or overall designs of vine scrolls and palmettes.
Traditionally, dark reds and blues were common colors with highlights of soft green
and ivory.
From the mid 19th-century onward, Persian Mahal rugs were
exclusively made for the European market. They often favored the bold floral
designs with spacious patterned Rugs. All rugs and carpets from this period
were exclusively made with pure and natural dyes. Dark red, blue, soft green,
gold, and ivory are the typical colors. Warps, foundation, and wefts are
cotton, and the pile is wool. The wool of the Sultanabad rugs is hand spun
usually from the weaver's own sheep. The rugs are woven using asymmetrical
Turkish knots to tie each loop one by one. Besides using wide and bold borders,
Mahal rugs had designs based on small repeating floral patterns as well as
all-over large scale lattice vine patterns. Mahal rug designers simplified the
designs by creating a special work of art with unique character. Foreign
companies as well as local merchants adopted a similar system, causing Mahal carpets
to become carpets of the highest decorative value, even today by both interior
designers and the discriminating collector. Therefore, Mahal rugs have great
value in any condition, often favored for their bold floral designs with
spacious patterns.
Please Note: almost all old and antique rugs are associated with some minor color change (abrash), previous repair, wavy shapes, possible weak materials, missing line on the borders, diverse pattern which in a way add to the beauty of these rugs.