What is Rya?

Rya is a Scandinavian carpet with a long pile. The name comes from the root "Ry", which means "hairy" or "rude". In Finnish they are called Ryijy . Rya rugs are knotted with ghiordes knot, as the Persian carpets are, but the length of the pile, the size of the knots and the wider gaps between the rows of knots gives them a completely different look. Although modern Ryas has evolved far from their beginnings, techniques and names date back to the beginning of 900 years.

The first Rya rugs were used primarily as a sleeping coverage. They simply started such long pieces of wool, which were tied to thin woven carpets. During the cold weather, they placed down the bed with a wool side down. Ryas were still used by some as bed covers in the 16th century.

Soon the examples of Rya were very simple, made of solid colors. Only one party contained a wave. Gradually, the more common node has become a shorter decorative coverage on the back. As Quilts, Ryas has replaced the beds, the carpets have become more artistic. NYnuts were made with a shorter pile of woolen yarn suitable for performing relatively complicated designs.

Some of the most complicated and most famous decorative examples were created in Finland. Starting from the 17th century, Ryas in Finland were made with increasingly complicated decorative patterns. They are often used as commemorative wedding rugs, often created individually for each pair. They were usually used during the wedding ceremony to knelt the couple while changing their promises. The carpet, which was often dated and recorded the names of the couple, was then shown in the new home of the couple.

These carpets and other decorative Rya, often represented the motifs of common folk art, including the tree of life, stylized animals and floral patterns. During the end of the 17th and 18th centuries, the decorative rugs of Rya became popular throughout Scandinavia. The habit that these carpets also spread to North America when tAM immigrants arrived from countries where Rya was common.

During the 20th century, RYA designs were greatly influenced by European trends in decorative artistic trends in general, especially schools such as Arctuveau and modernism. In the middle of the 20th century, many Rya was produced in bright colors with bold geometric or abstract patterns. This style of Rya has become internationally popular during the 1960s and 1970s. These rugs are often highly sought after by collectors.