Why Swedish flatweave rugs are so desirable
Most of the most coveted Swedish rugs date from the 20th century onwards–the rug movement in Sweden was hot to trot then and women weavers were the ones to watch. The grand dame of Swedish flatweave rugs is Märta Måås-Fjetterström and the prices of her original antique rugs reflect that, fetching anything up to £25,000 or more. A lot of them live in museums. She ran an important weaving studio in Båstad, Sweden from 1919, where she also employed Barbro Nilsson, Ann-Marie Forsberg and Marianne Richter, all of whom are now collectable names in their own right. Märta Måås' design catalogue is still being produced under her name in Båstad and their website showcases all sorts of re-woven rug designs which still look remarkably spot-on and contemporary.
A good place to start learning about Swedish rugs (flatweave and others) is a blog by architect and rug enthusiast Anne Whidden, aptly named The Swedish Rug Blog, where the research is almost museological and the images are lush. The flatweave rug is known as a rölakan or röllakan in Swedish. They were woven there from the 18th century onwards. The rölakan flatweave rug usually has a linen warp and wool weft and they are what we would call tapestry woven. Many of these rug designs also came as knotted pile rugs or Rya, but their surface texture is quite different; more rug-y. Rölakan flatweave rugs have their own design vocabulary, much of it drawn from Swedish folklore: birds, trees and flowers, people, deer and horses. These rugs have another design vocabulary too, one that is a lot more minimalist and modernist: checks and stripes, squares and zigzags. The rugs that feel most modernist to us are often done in single colour subtle colour gradients that are allowed to gently wander across the rug. All very Rothko.
Many Swedish rugs were produced in studios, like that of Märta Måås. Some were designed for manufacture by larger machine weaving companies like Kasthall and Golv AB in Kinna, Sweden. Ingrid Dessau, for example, designed 10 rugs in 5 colours for them each year in the mid-1950s. The designs of Märta Måås were fit for important feet at the time and were often commissioned for Swedish embassies around the world and head offices back in Sweden. Some rugs even came from outside Sweden. Éva Németh's designs were produced by the Ziola company in Hungary to be sold in the department store (of design dreams) Illums Bolighus in Copenhagen.
Prices for Swedish flatweave rugs vary wildly. A classic, signed (initials were often woven into rugs) 1950s rug design by Anna Greta Sjoqvist has sold for £2,200, offering you a nice geometric pattern and beige ground, for easy living. Whereas an unnamed rug from the mid-twentieth century, so very pretty in its grey and turquoise grid, is for sale for nearly £15k. It's all a little confusing for a rug beginner. To add to the confusion, copies 'inspired by' abound, so you have to be careful which sort you are looking at. That is where established dealers and auction houses come in. But in the end, we suggest you go back to our best advice for antique collectors: buy what you like, what your design heart–and feet–pull you towards.
