SARUK (Sarough)

Saruk is a city in central Iran about 40 km north of Sultanabad. Rug production in this area intensified considerably towards the end of the 19th century thanks to the growing export market, which in turn developed through the flourishing business of the Ziegler company located in nearby Sultanabad. Their sturdy structure, elegant designs and pleasing colours - soft, gentle shades - made Saruks one of the most popular rugs exported to the West, and especially the United States during the 20th century. There are various decorative patterns, but they are always floral. The most widely used colours - on both antique and contemporary rugs - are pink, blue and beige. The knotting is asymmetrical and can reach rather high densities. The so-called "American" Saruks are highly prized. They were made for the United States market between the end of the 19th and early 20th century. They are usually very big and decorated with large flowering branches that come together to form a central medallion and distributed symmetrically over the entire field. The wools were of high quality and were often imported from the U.K., and the most widely used colour was an elegant shade of pink known as dughi. Today, the "American" Saruks are among the most valuable and highly sought antique Persian rugs.