Rug ‘Salerno Grey’ designed by Barbro Nilsson for Märta Måås-Fjetterström AB
Sweden, 1948
Hand-woven wool.Rölakan technique.
Barbro Nilsson designed her renowned collection of ‘Salerno’ textiles at the request of a very special commission. In 1947, a freight plane carrying twenty-five Swedish Air Force pilots crashed near Scala, a small town north of the ancient city of Salerno in Italy’s Monti Latteri region. Despite the heroic efforts of Italian locals, only four of the pilots survived. The Swedish Government commissioned the MMF workshop to design a commemorative rug that would also be sent as a gift to the chapel of the hospital in Scala where the survivors were cared for.
The rug was handwoven using the traditional Swedish rollakan flatweave technique. Rollakan rugs are flat, with no raised surface. This is achieved by interweaving the weft (horizontal threads) and warp (vertical threads). The result is a lightweight, smooth, and reversible rug.
The Salerno rug is a rectangular flatweave with a balanced and rhythmic geometric composition. Its design features a central field of horizontal, ladder-like bands framed by symmetrical rows of small triangular and diamond motifs, which are interspersed with linear patterns that create a structured yet dynamic layout. The rug is bordered by larger rectangular blocks, adding a sense of containment and balance to the intricate inner patterns.
MMF, or Märta Måås-Fjetterström, is a Swedish weaving studio established in 1919 by the renowned textile artist Märta Måås-Fjetterström in Båstad, Sweden.
Signed.
From a private Swedish collection.
L: 297 cm / 9' 9''
W: 207 cm / 6' 9 1/2''
Price: on application
