Swedish Pile Yellow and Green Rya Rug by Märta Måås-Fjetterström BB5209 6'5" × 9'6" $16,000

This vintage circa-1956 Swedish pile rya antique rug designed by Barbro Nilsson for Marta Maas-Fjetterstrom is made of hand-knotted wool and features an all-over design of linear abstractions in intriguing shades of green, blue and yellow. The vintage carpet features a woven signature of AB MMF BN. Nilsson was one of the most renowned and respected designers and master weavers in Sweden’s mid-century handcraft Renaissance. A rya is a traditional Scandinavian wool vintage rug with a long pile of about 1 to 3 inches.

They are created using a form of the Ghiordes knot to make the double-sided pile fabric. The first ryas originated in the early fifteenth century as coarse, heavy covers used by mariners instead of furs. As time progressed, the vintage Scandinavian rugs have evolved to be lighter and more colorful. Each knot is composed of three strands of wool, which enables the carpet to exhibit rich texture from all the different shades of color.