Category Archives: All About Oriental

Organic, Vegetable Dyed Rugs: Choose the Best Ziegler for Your Home

Using Vegetable Dyes for “Softer” Colors and High Quality Wool

Ziegler rugs were first commissioned in the 1880s by a German company, Zeigler & Co, looking to balance the beauty of the native Persian carpets with the Western preference for a slightly softer palate. They worked with some the best weavers from Iran and Europe and used vegetable dyes to create the desired softer color. The rugs were based on a modified Sultanabad style and quickly became popular on the Western market.

Now, the name is used to denote all rugs developed in the same style, made with 100% natural vegetable dyes and hand-knotted using fine hand-spun Ghazni or Himalayan wool. Although Ziegler rugs are typically lower in knot counts (usually averaging between 80 and 100 per square inch), they are still considered high quality because of the material they’re woven with.

The rugs have been credited with re-introducing traditional vegetable dyes into Persian rugs, and are now made all over the Middle East. Many Ziegler rugs are now made in Afghanistan.

The Ziegler Rug Spectrum

Ziegler rugs come in a few different varieties, and at eSaleRugs we categorize them as follows:

Ariana Zieglers: These Zieglers use finest of vegetable dyes, and often display a unique rusty-muted tone regardless of their coloring.
Classic Zieglers: These are the most popular style of Zieglers, and use traditional patterns with 100% vegetables dyes.
Geometric Kazaks: These rugs use same natural dyes as Ziegler rugs, but are woven using geometric patterns rather than traditionals.
Ziegler Mamluk: These are inspired by the Egyptian style and woven using extremely fine threads. Mamluk Zieglers combine highest grade of natural dyes with extra-fine weaving techniques.
Modern Zieglers: Also colored using 100% natural vegetable dyes, these Ziegler rugs use contemporary, fresh, and simple motifs while maintaining the same color vibrancy and beauty.
Over-Dyed Zieglers: These rugs are made by dipping finished Classic Ziegler rugs into herbal-infused bright dyes, creating a unique modern mono-tone look. This is extremely difficult to do with a rug made using natural dyes and hand-spun wool, and the color consistency is almost impossible to maintain. Oftentimes, manufacturers must go through many Classic Ziegler rugs just to produce a single “perfect” Over-Dyed Ziegler rug.

Benefits of Vegetable-Dyed Rugs

Rugs dyed with vegetable based colorings offer gentler color tones that can make it easier to match with modern and classical décors.

Another benefit to these naturally-dyed rugs is that they do not contain the harsh chemicals that are common to many other dyes. This makes them much better for the health of the carpet weavers, the carpet owners, and the environment. They’re ideal interior design additions for sensitive children or pets.

Much of selecting the perfect rug comes down to personal style. Zieglers make excellent decorations with their expert blend of Persian and Western influences, so it shouldn’t be hard to find one you love in our large naturally-dyed collection.

Antique Oriental Rugs as Art Investments

Why Oriental Rugs Are Excellent Investments

Antique rugs in general are believed to hold their value extremely well. Although oriental rugs are not an investment for those looking for a quick return, they do tend to be very reliable in the long term. They are excellent investments to hold on to for the course of a lifetime and even pass along as a part of an inheritance.

Even while the rugs, like most art, are slowly gaining value over the years, they are also serving a second purpose by providing beautiful home décor in the interim. People can decorate walls, floors, and other parts of their home by carefully and professionally laying out their antique rugs.

What to Keep in Mind When Purchasing Oriental Rugs

Oriental rugs are only going to maintain and increase their value when they are properly cared for. Potential investors should carefully study how to care for their new rugs to avoid unnecessary wear and tear or other damage. They should also investigate what rugs work best where. For example, some may be more fragile and best used for walls or the floor in low traffic areas. Others are better equipped to handle more steady foot traffic.

It may also be a good idea to avoid buying only rugs that are currently considered ‘hot’ investments. Since these oriental rugs are already being sold at their top value, they will have the least room to gain in the long term. While predicting what will be popular in several years is very difficult, investment professionals may be able to offer helpful advice about which rugs are currently undervalued.

Antique oriental rugs make excellent art investments for those looking to decorate their homes while also making money in the long run. Careful research about the care of the rugs as well as the best value can go a long way in helping the investment be successful.

The Making of Oriental Rugs: From the Loom to Your Home

How are Oriental Rugs Made and Designed?

Oriental Rugs can again be categorized into different types based on their origin. Persian rugs, Arabian rugs, Chinese rugs and Tibetan rugs are all examples of fine oriental rugs.

In order to make an Oriental rug, weavers use a loom to weave together threads of different colors into a complex pattern. A traditional Oriental rug design begins with a border, followed by a central design piece with some significance. Additional embellishments and patterns are then woven in, with the ultimate result being an elaborate pattern of with many design elements. Tabriz Oriental rugs are splendid examples of this sort of design.

A blue and red Mahal Oriental area rug.

Rug designers and weavers incorporate rich and bright colors such as red, orange, beige, navy blue and maroons as they make Oriental rugs to make them look opulent and glamorous. Authentic Oriental rugs are made using 100 percent pure natural wool and have 150 or more knots per square inch.

The designs are of Asian style and pattern which make them look very ethnic. Such beautiful oriental rugs were used by the Kings and other affluent classes in the ancient times. They reflect the buyer’s class, fine taste and grandeur. Purists believe that an authentic oriental rug is hand knotted or woven, rather than machine made. (Machine made rugs are often said to lack panache and authenticity.)

These beautiful rugs are also used as art forms and collected in museums. The Mahal-patterned Oriental area rugs can look as grand on the wall as it does on the floor. The Birjand-patterned Oriental area rug is also a beautiful example of such an excellent craft.

Cleaning Oriental Rugs: Care and Repair

These glorious pieces of décor need extra care to keep them looking as glamorous as they do, and different rugs are cleaned in different ways. Never wash an authentic oriental rug at home using shampoo or detergents. If you need to clean your Oriental rug, it’s always a good idea to send it to a professional cleaner. This helps increase longevity of the rug. Make sure you clean the rug regularly.

To repair your Oriental rug after any wear and tear, have the damaged areas rewoven by a professional before the damage is exaggerated. You need to take extra care if you have pets at home.

What’s your favorite Oriental rug pattern? Let us know in the comments!