An Impressive Large Size Rustic Antique Persian Sultanabad Carpet, Country Of Origin / Rug Type: Antique Persian Rugs, Circa Date: 1880’s – Antique Persian Sultanabad rugs have a luxurious, elegance and stand out for their harmony of color and design. This antique Sultanabad carpet from the 1880’s has a rustic quality that makes it versatile. It has the formal attention to layout, but the forms are simple and have a tribal quality. This is an excellent example of a Sultanabad carpet produced during the height of the local industry.
The brilliant red color background highlights a sophisticated palette of blues, salmons, browns, yellows and olive greens. It has vertical balance but features a changing pattern as the eye moves vertically. The pattern consists of rows of floral designs that feature different motifs. The floral inspired palmettes include locally found Persian flowers such as lotus, peony, hyacinth and others that speak a language all their own.
The red color of this antique Oriental rug is unique to Sultanabad. Red is a popular color in other areas of the orient, but the brilliancy achieved by Sultanabad has a brilliance that is a result of a unique dye process. This glorious red is achieved by soaking madder with whey for two days. Sultanabad was founded in 1808 and became a carpet-production center in the latter part of the century. Sultanabad eventually softened the color scheme of their carpets to appeal to the European market. The red of this carpet is characteristic of the red produced during the height of Sultanabad’s peak as a carpet production center.
An all over rug design is a classic pattern found in antique Persian rugs from Sultanabad. This carpet uses an all-over design, but it lacks a repeating pattern of many all-over design carpets. The rug features larger flowers arranged in a loose grid pattern, but each flower is different, and they do not repeat vertically. This softens the formality that Persian Sultanabad carpets are known for in most cases.
The border of this beautifully rustic rug features a chocolate brown that is characteristic of Sultanabad rugs. Sometimes these browns are achieved by using camelhair or natural brown wool. This might be the case with this rustic antique Persian Sultanabad carpet as the browns in the main border have variations in tone that one might expect in natural brown wool. The color would be expected to be more even if it was dyed. This variation in color gives the carpet character and depth.
The vibrant colors of this rustic antique Persian Sultanabad carpet are one of its most beautiful features. It has the formality that one expects from antique rugs produced in cities, but this one adds a touch of whimsy by its simple motifs and lack of detail. It is a versatile piece that could be used in a formal room, or to soften the rigidness of the interior design. It will bring its own character to the room.