Mid-20th century Swedish Geometric Hand Knotted Wool Rug by Judith Johansson BB5809 5'4" × 8'1" $20,000

This circa-1930 vintage Swedish flat weave rug by famed textile designer Judith Johansson, signed JJ in the corner, features an all-over design of tratylized geometric shapes in bright hues of blue, yellow and green on a tan background. Johansson’s creations often feature patterns inspired by nature and geometry, and have won numerous awards. In Sweden, carpets and vintage 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 vintage Scandinavian 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 antique rug world.