Swedish Flatweave by Märta Måås-Fjetterström “Ostia” BB6009 2'7" × 30'0" $25,000

This circa-1940 vintage Swedish flat weave rug by Märta Måås-Fjetterström, titled “Ostia,” features an all-over design of rectangular geometric abstractions in varying shades of cool green. Fringe on both ends of the carpet completes the modernist look of this vintage piece. Maas-Fjetterstrom (1873-1941) was a leading figure in Swedish textile design, with a workshop known for producing well-composed rugs incorporating traditional Swedish and modern motifs. In Sweden, carpets and rugs have been hand-knotted in wool for centuries, taking on many different forms and functions over the course of time. By the beginning of the twentieth century, the craft was seen as being an important artistic and cultural practice throughout Sweden, and designers began to make rugs that had a broad international appeal. Scandinavian rugs from the mid-twentieth century, endorsed by such fixtures of modernism as Le Corbusier, Ray Eames and Frank Lloyd Wright, remain among the most desirable and sought after in the rug world.