Nasser Nishaburi Silence Zilu Rug

Description

Designed by Luis Eslava, Silence Zilu aims to preserve and reenergize the production of a weaving technique thousands of years old and on the verge of disappearance.

A human heritage at its best: for almost a thousand years, the tradition of zilu weaving has been produced along the perimeter of the Kavir desert. Described as “the most intellectually demanding of flatweaves” by Parvaz Tanavoli in his book ‘Persian Flatweaves’, zilu rugs bear many similarities to Hasir mats, mankind’s earliest known hand-woven item.

Made of cotton threads to adapt to the hardship of the extreme desert heat, the earliest mention of zilu weaving is recorded by Nasser Khosrow (1033- 1088) who refers to 400 zilu weaving looms in the town of Tun.

In August 2017 we were briefed by some local officials on how fragile the Zilu existence was. With just about 40 weavers working. It is a drastic contrast with the 2,500 looms that existed prior to 1979 according to an article by John Tompson. He also illustrates the sharp decrease by saying that in a period of four years they went down to 1,000 looms.

To preserve this ancient wealth and knowledge, we have partnered with Luis Eslava to create a new design that shows the beauty of Zilu to the contemporary world.

Available in red-white: 160cm x 246cm

Delivery information

Once your order has been processed, our sales team will be in touch to make arrangements for a suitable date. 

Free local delivery purchases over $1000. Separate carry-up and disposal charges may apply. More details available here. 

For overseas orders, please contact our sales team to make arrangements. We will not capture any card payment for overseas orders for large items.