These 3 Danish Modern Wall Rya rugs featuring a lovely cat design is a must-have for any collector of vintage rugs and carpets. Made from 100% wool and knotted using traditional production techniques, this piece is a true original from the 1970s. The unique pattern and shape make it a standout addition to any modern or eclectic home décor.
This beauty is not meant for the floor, but rather as a stunning wall hanging. It is an authentic piece from the EGE brand and is sure to impress any lover of antique and vintage design. Add it to your collection today and enjoy its timeless charm for years to come.
THE HISTORY OF RYA
The Rya begun in the bronze age. The Rya was first used in garments. A grave dating from 1800 B.C. revealed a viking chief buried in a cape woven with this technique. In the medieval times, rya served as a warm coverlet, with the pile side toward the sleeper. The birth area comprehends Finland and Norway. Originally the rya was woven for protection against the cold. It was a textile of the common man: the first ryas were bed covers used with the long haired wool on the inside. It was used over the scandinavian sleight. Boat ryas have warmed seamen throughout centuries. It was used as a coat for fishermen & whalehunters and as a boatbed bottom and cover. They were called island ryas in finland and boat ryas in norway. The rya had the advantage to repell seawater much better than leather. It was used on the horses or to cover the doorway and not infrecuently as a sustitute for money. The heavy one-colored gray Rya coats were made with the elastic wool of the "spellsauens" sheep race from Norway. The warming capacity of the woven Rya was better than that of the leather & fur. RY, an old Norse word meaning "coverlet made of pile" and RUH, "rough or shaggy" are found in scandinavian writtings of the sixteenth century. The modern word RYA is swedish and probably evolved during the eighteenth century. Other names for the technique include ryia, ria, ryo,ryghia (all archaic) and ryijy ,the name by which the Finns still identify their craft. One diamond pattern was common and had spread by 1000. A.D. to the Baltic, Estonia and East Prussia. In the 16th century was estate supported in Sweden.In the middle ages was the Rya a common used Bed Cover in Denmark. Gradually as more efficient ways were developed to keep warm, rya's role changed from practical to decorative. Decoration with motives included plants, animals, religious simbols, pictorial narratives, and elaborate geometric elaborations like the sunburst pattern. Soon in the 1500 begin the decoration of the Ryas to be used only in ceremonial ocassions and they were called Pryd ryas. This rya was used in wedding ceremonies at the church and as rug for the newly gifted. Bridal ryas are some of the most esplendid achievements in Finnish folk ryas. A bride-to-be would weave the story of her future life, including a picture of the couple, their initials, the tree of life, and hearts. The finished rya would be used for the first time at church during the wedding ceremony. Afterwards the newly wed would take it to their new home, where it would cover the bridal bed. A combination of wall decoration with an extention to the floor was common in 1900's. A swedish Rya artist Märta Måås-Fjetterstrom was a pioneer in the years of industrialism. The German Bauhaus movement which reached Finland early last century can be seen in ryas with simpler patters and longer pile. In the 1960's many artists experimented with forms and colors and Ryas were very popular. In the 1970s traditional patterns , trees, flowers, stars, were replaced with abstract figures. Wool was joined by sisal, linen, cotton and even paper. Many tapestries were famous in Denmark working with design ryas: HØYER, L.F.FOGHT, EGE, C.U.M. & GRAM. In the 1980's the generation that grew up with the very popular modern ryas of the 1960's grew older, satisfied & saturated with the rya weaving option. Many artists shifted to other design experiments and the Ryas of the 1960's-70's are now hard to find. Ocassionally owners & collectors break up their collections or die and the ryas appear like a Greenpeace submarine smashing the ice to surface and breath.