Marjatta Metsovaara Vibrant Red Seashell Wall Rug/Carpet, 1960s

Finnish rya rugs (wall hangings) date back centuries, were very important and had a pivotal role in Finnish handicrafts and the evolution of the Finnish design identity during the 1900s. Many famous designers and even architects designed their own ryas and a few dedicated their careers to designing ryas and textiles exclusively. One of the most famous and successful of those was Marjatta Metsovaara who graduated in the late 40s and started Metsovaara Oy already in the 1950s and had her first exhibition in Artek in 1957.