Golden Sultanabad Carpet with Floral Sprays and Abrash Changes

A central Persian Sultanabad carpet, late 19th century, a particularly beautiful example with an unusual golden yellow ground, displaying a central design of floral sprays in vases, with tonal 'Abrash' changes in the blue corner spandrels, 188 cm long, 120 cm wide. Provenance: Purchased Nomadic rug Traders, 1993. Other Notes: smaller Sultanabad rugs are less frequently encountered. Like all pieces large and small, they are characterised by a likeness of palette and designs reflecting the 'decorative arts' rather than 'tribal' aesthetic. Sultanabad was the old name for the township of Arak in central Persia, and during the 2nd half of the 19th century carpet production expanded in catering to the burgeoning European taste for the designs and palette of the rugs from the area. William Morris is accredited with the growing popularity of such carpets. Sultanbad products are often referred to as 'Zieglers', while the Manchester based Swiss firm Ziegler & Co were responsible for much of the production during the last quarter of the 19th century.