Handmade Afghan Ziegler rug - 309444

Handmade by skilled artisan weavers in north-west Afghanistan, this Ziegler rug is produced in a cottage industry where traditional skills are passed down through generations. Crafted from vegetable-dyed, handspun wool, it features an elegant, open, flowing design in a muted colour palette of soft pale blue and cream, with terracotta outlines. This meticulous combination of Afghan weaving and finishing creates a rug that is both beautiful and hardwearing, suitable for any room in the home and brings understated sophistication to your space. Please click the hyperlinks in gold if you are interested in additional information. Often, people are curious about the connection to William Morris. Ziegler worked collaboratively with William Morris, taking his designs to Iran (formerly Persia) and securing weavers in Tabriz and Sultanabad to produce fine, traditionally made carpets specifically for the booming Victorian export market. The processes were developed at the weaving stage and extended into finishing, particularly through the use of herbal washes. The fashion was to experiment, and the early Ziegler designs were quite different from the traditional rugs and carpets of the period. The Oriental rug trade had not been used in this way before. In many ways, the pioneering techniques used by Ziegler & Co. have inspired some of the newly designed pieces by Afghan weavers, such as the Samarkand and Mamluk. After the carpets have been hand-knotted, the final step is to wash them with gallons of flowing water (literally, bucket by bucket). The rug is scrubbed with tough-bristle brushes, removing excess dyes and making it much lighter in colour. The scrubbing also makes the carpet look slightly older, or, as some people describe it, even 'an antique look'. The different mordants used to wash and fix the dyes also affect the colouration of the original vegetable dyes. The final carpet stage in Pakistan involves many processes. First, initial tensioning and alignment problems may be undertaken, followed by surface clipping, herbal washing and tumbling. This combination of Afghan weaving and finishing in Pakistan has succeeded. When buying online, it is worth considering the company and the rug. We are a family business with over 65 years of experience selling rugs. We have an unrivalled reputation and pride ourselves on high customer service. We welcome visits to the Tewkesbury shop. Alternatively, we can assist with online enquiries by email or telephone. We recommend the use of an underlay with this product: Foxi-underlay to provide grip to stop handmade rugs from moving For uneven surfaces, we would recommend our Felt underlay: Felt underlay for uneven floors Product size: 180 x 123cm (5'11 x 4'0)