In 1883, Ziegler and Co, of Manchester, England established a Persian carpet manufacture in Sultanabad Persia, which employed designers from major western department stores such as B. Altman & Co of New York and Liberty, to modify 16th- and 17th-century Eastern designs for the more restrained western taste. Using highly developed dying techniques, and the best artisans from the region, the Ziegler Co created rugs with bold, all-over patterns and with softer palettes than their vibrant Persian counterparts.
Ziegler rugs developed an almost immediate following, especially among early collectors included the Guinness family, who laid them in Elveden Hall, their Suffolk estate. Ziegler carpets are one of the only types of Persian carpet which were influenced by western designs and have become one of the most sought after types of carpet.
