4 x 5 - Blue Vintage Scandinavia Swedish Rya Rug - 78473

78473 Vintage Swedish Rya Rug by Viola Grasten, 04'03 x 05'03.

Radiant and rare, this hand-knotted wool vintage Scandinavian Swedish Rya rug, titled “Midsommar” by the acclaimed designer Viola Gråsten, embodies the pinnacle of mid-20th century textile artistry. Gråsten, celebrated as a vanguard of Scandinavian modern design, infused her works with bold geometry, rhythmic abstraction, and an avant-garde use of color that challenged conventions and redefined status interiors across Europe.

The Midsommar rug bursts forth with a hypnotic interplay of deep indigo, midnight navy, and crimson scarlet—its palette evoking both the midnight sun and the exuberance of Sweden’s midsummer festivities. At its heart, a radiant sunburst of crimson petals blooms against the twilight ground, symbolizing vitality, joy, and renewal. Framed by painterly dashes of violet, rose, and pale stone, the design captures Gråsten’s genius for marrying folkloric heritage with modernist abstraction, transforming the humble rya into an object of pure prestige.

Hand-knotted with the traditional long-pile Rya technique, the rug offers not only sumptuous texture but also a living narrative of Scandinavian craft at its most exclusive. Once prized by aristocratic homes and later embraced by the avant-garde elite, Gråsten’s ryas epitomize a seamless blend of heritage and innovation—both a cultural artifact and a collector’s treasure.

Scarce and museum-worthy, “Midsommar” is far more than a rug; it is a woven celebration of Swedish identity and artistic daring. To own this Viola Gråsten creation is to possess a work of art that bridges past and future, an emblem of refined taste, cultural stewardship, and the enduring prestige of Scandinavian design.

• Midsommar by Viola Grasten, NK Textilkammare. A sewn on label at the back.
• Abrash.
• Hand knotted wool.
• Measures: 04'03 x 05'03.
• Made in Sweden.
• Date: 1940's-1960's. Mid-20th Century.