The collaboration of two
companies, Zavieh and Lotfi brothers, produces a new generation of Hand-Woven
carpet by using modern patterns and wool with different original natural shades
- which is rare. This carpet collection is presented to the people all over the
world as the Gabri Collection.
The Zavieh carpet production takes its roots in the late 19th century.
Habibollah Zavieh was born in 1884. His father worked in the real eastate in
Tehran and Tabriz. Habibollah had a happy childhood until his father passed away
when he was 14. He was sent to Istanbul where he studied at the Alliance
Française then he started to work in the carpet and tea business in between
Turkey, Russia, Egypt and his homeland, Iran.
Habibollah Zavieh rapidly became one of the most important oriental carpet and
handicraft exporter towards England, Switzerland, the United-States and mostly
Denmark where he lived for a couple of years.
A few years preceeding his death, both of his sons Javad and Djalal Zavieh
inherited his export company and worked beside their father.
In 1977, his youngest son, Djalal Zavieh moved to Brussels, Belgium where he
continued the oriental carpet exportation business towards Europe and the
United-States. He slowly specialized himself in all origins of handmade carpets
from antique to modern.
The Lotfi brothers company managed by Alireza and Gholamreza Lotfi, using an
enriched experience of more than 90 years in the field of research, gathers the
most original Iranian carpets and kelims. There information and database is very
wide and thus rare.
The Lofti brothers have a MS Degree from the Art Faculty at Tehran University.
They also have a MS degree from the Iranian Carpet Faculty. They both teach in
some reputable Iranian universities and publish essays in professional
publications : these essays, result of their effort and their experience, partly
inherited from past generations.
Their knowledge in the field of ancient Iranian tribal technics and designs, in
the link between carpets, climate and geography, their knowledge of different
cultures and societies but also of modern interior design give them a special
place in the professional field.
The Lotfi brothers have been honored for the best Iranian carpet board in 2003.
They have also been honored for the crystalline statue of the best collection of
Iranian ancient tribal woven in 2004, for the best tribal carpet production in
2005, the best interior design in 2006 and finally for the best modern carpet
production in 2007.
Description of wool and hand-spinned thread :
Sheep wool cords have a hollow structure which is filled with protein (Lipo) and
according to age, race, district, climate and vegetation, there is a fluctuation
in the lipo’s rate. This protein has a great effect on softness, flexibility,
fineness and also in luminosity and resistance of the wool against friction and
breaking.
In the hand-spinned wool yarns, where all the steps of the evolution from wool
cord to wool yarn are done by hand, all the qualities of the natural wool are
preserved. This is not comparable with the machine threads. We should emphasize
that in some of the hand-spinned wool, industrial machines are used in the
process of carding instead of hand and comb. Therefore resulting the friction of
most of the cords which is the most important reason in the yarn’s erosion (carpet).
(In the hand-spinned wool yarns, the length of the fibers is approximately 5 to
15 cm).
In order to facilitate the procedure of carding by machines, some industrial
lubricants may be used thus making the wool blur and opaque. These yarns have an
unpleasant smell which is due to the lubricant used in the machine. In some
cases, and for economic reasons, petrol or gasoil might be used making it even
worse.
On the other hand, since a mass of wool with different shades (sheep wool has
different natural shades) are placed in the machine together, the result will be
the yarns in either dark or fully bright color.
Considering the facts mentioned above, we should notify that the wool cords have
different color pigments which is one of the miracles of the creation.
Factors such as age, race, climate, vegetation, the resting area and the animal
body part of the growth of wool have a high impact on the wool shade.
The Lotfi Brothers, with the above knowledge – a very brief description of which
has been given here – and with the benefit of lots of human power and
specialists, have succeeded to separate and sort the lamb wool cords which has a
high quality of softness and delicacy.
Consequently with hand carding, spinning and also a high control and observation
over the procedure, they have been able to produce a very large range of natural
shades (self-color pigments) which are unique.
After achieving these stages of production of colorful wool yarns, this company
began to produce and to weave the hand-knotted carpets. The procedure of weaving
and knotting of these carpets are completely traditional which is the result of
centuries of experience in Persian carpets. All the technical factors of the
traditional Persian carpets have been respected : such as the Kelims of the two
ends of the carpet, the binding of the sides, etc. This has a great effect on
the quality and the resistance of the carpet.
These carpets, known as Gabri collection, are one of the best in the
contemporary carpet industry and witch is only being presented to you by the
company Old Est. Zavieh sa.
We will be glad to accept any order – knowing that all our models can be made to
your sizes.