Vintage “Solrosen” Rya rug designed by Marianne Richter in Marta Maas Fjetterstrom’s workshop BB5957 5'4" × 5'9"

A mid-century Rya rug titled “Solrosen” designed by Marianne Richter. Woven at Marta Maas Fjetterstrom’s workshop. The rug is signed AB MMF MR at the lower left corner. The solrosen, sunflower in English, is a populat motif with the Scandinavian textile designers. However, this rug adds an interesting twist to the traditional golden-yellow sunflower motif as it makes use of deep shades of dark red, earthy brown and dusty green instead. This indicates the richness of the crop at its peak, in the fall. A truly remarkable piece of textile design woven in 100% Nordic lambswool, with a thick pile. 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.