Hand-woven Ombre Mid-Century Swedish Rug. Woven initials to edge “BA” BB6232 5'4" × 8'0" $12,000

This elegant vintage Swedish flat-weave is as beautiful as it is mysterious. In the bottom right corner it carries an enigmatic signature –BA –which most probably is an acronym of its weaver’s name. Who this person was, we are not entirely sure. However, there is a great chance that the author of this ingenious weaving piece was the great Barbro Nilsson, a close friend and professional partner of Marta Maas-Fjetterstrom.

This remarkable Scandinavian rug was made in the spirit of Scandinavian aesthetics and philosophy which assumes that real charm lies in simplicity and that utilitarian objects, besides being functional and qualitative, should also beautiful. The main field of this minimalistic rug is left completely patternless to make space for the wonderful tone-on-tone ombre effect executed in elegant shades of gray. The only embellishment are two stripes of geometric pattern at the shorter opposite sides of the vintage round rug, which soften the cool field with beige, sandy and mustard hues.

The antique rug, whoever made it, was masterly hand-knotted of the finest wool in accordance with old and refined weaving techniques which contributed to its exceptional quality. This mid-20th century piece will surely serve its lucky owners for generations without any signs of wear. Due to its simplicity and balanced design, the piece is absolutely timeless and versatile. It will match a wide variety of interior décors, from classic to modern.