Mahal | 359cm x 274cm | No. 16059

Floral Mahal, dark gray with border

Place of origin

Mahal is a rug originating from western Persia, named after the city and province of the same name Mahallat.
br /> The region Mahallat near the city of Sultanabad (formerly Arak) became an important center for the knotting of Persian export rugs from the 1870s onwards. The English import company called Company Messrs. Ziegler & Co. Ltd. founded by a Swiss merchant played an important role in this, opening a branch office in Mahallat in 1883.

These rugs, also called Farahan, Mahal, Ziegler-Mahal or simply Ziegler were knotted in nearby villages following western color and pattern specifications. Being a mixture of European design guidelines in lighter, calmer colors and classical patterns in the style of the Farahan and Sultanabad, these rugs were 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 Zigler rugs. Well-preserved antique Ziegler rugs achieve record prices today, especially in the USA. For some years now, these antique Ziegler designs have been re-knotted with high quality in Pakistan or India.

The newly reproduced Ziegler rugs, made of hand-spun wool and dyed with natural dyes, 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. Subsequently, the reproduction of almost all traditional Persian patterns began. This resulted in adaptations of antique rugs as well as modern designs drawing on the charm of antique rugs.

Patterns

The edge of the rug is decorated with an edging (border). The border forms a excellent contrast to the center.

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

The background of this Mahal is dark gray. The border is beige.

Material

The technique used to produce the materials of the pile of this Mahal 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 Mahal are made of cotton. This versatile material is tear-resistant and stretchable and, therefore, ideal for a durable backing fabric.