Around 1880, the Sultanabad workshops in western Iran began producing carpets specifically for the new collector class in London and New York. The brief was simple. Open the dense Safavid floral repeats. Drop the saturation. Move toward fields and palettes the new generation wanted under their dining tables and in their drawing rooms. The carpets that emerged set a template that the Indian floor-loom workshops have continued to refine for the past century.

Two to three weavers shared a loom for about four months in India. Around 1.6 million asymmetric knots tied against cotton warps in hand-spun New Zealand wool. The dyes were prepared from madder root, indigo, walnut hull, and oak gall, each matured for two to three weeks in copper vats before the wool was lowered. The piece was finished with a slow tea wash that pulls the new wool's brightness down into a measured rustic patina the Sultanabad tradition prefers.

The composition

An open ivory and rust ground anchored by a soft central medallion in faded ochre. Vine work in indigo runs corner to corner with the slight irregularity that only plant dye produces. The border holds a single deep band rather than the layered borders that turn lesser pieces in this tradition busy. Over the years the rust will lighten, the indigos will deepen, and the ivory will warm toward bone.

What you are buying

Period Sultanabads with comparable condition and 1900-1920 attribution trade at Christie's and Rippon Boswell in the range of $20,000 to $50,000 when they surface at all. This is a new weaving inside the same tradition, on the same kind of loom, to the same density, in the same fibre. The carpet appreciates with use rather than depreciating. The MSRP comparison is the auction record, not the retail catalogue.

The piece in a room

6' x 9' (183 x 274 cm) is the working scale for a compact living area, a primary bedroom under the bed and night stands, or a square dining alcove. The rustic palette settles into homes with walnut floors, exposed brick, or warm-grey walls. Direct afternoon light helps; UV restores the indigo depth that interior light slowly washes out.

Conservation

Rotate a half turn each spring and autumn so foot traffic and sunlight age the wool evenly. Vacuum weekly with suction only, beater bar off. Blot spills with a clean cotton cloth, never rub. Schedule a hand-wash by a wool-trained conservator every five to seven years. Cared for at this level the carpet runs eighty years.

Reference

• Medium: hand-knotted New Zealand wool on cotton foundation
• Dimensions: 183 x 274 cm (6' x 9')
• Construction: Persian asymmetric knot
• Hands: 2-3 weavers, ~4 months
• Pile: 10 mm wool
• Dye: vegetable (madder, indigo, walnut hull, oak gall)
• Origin: India

Free shipping across India. Cash on delivery available. 7-day exchange. Crated for transport, the packaging is built to be re-used during storage or a future move.