Mahal Ziegler

Ziegler Rugs of Arak - In 1883, Ziegler and Co., of Manchester, England, established a Persian carpet manufacture in Sultanabad (now Arak), Iran, employing designers from major Western department stores, like B. Altman and Liberty of London, to modify fanciful 16th- and 17th-century Eastern designs for the more restrained Western taste. Using highly developed dying techniques and the best artisans from the region, Ziegler created rugs with bold, allover patterns and with softer palettes than their vibrant Persian counterparts. The key to understanding Ziegler Mahal carpet is that Ziegler organized production on their own looms with their own designs. Ziegler designers started with the standard Persian designs such as forked tendrils, palmettes, and rosettes and then adapted them for the European market.