Ryijy
Encyclopedia
Ryijy is a form of Finnish
tapestry or cloth rug
.
The name ryijy originated with the Scandinavian word rya, which means "thick cloth". The decorative ryijy rug is an art form unique to Finland. In the late 19th century, ryijy rug weaving
developed as a folk art
. Some of the most beautiful tapestries
were woven then.
Ryijys date from as early as the 9th century. Similar in nature to a knotted Persian carpet, the ryijy knots are further apart and are much larger and longer. Originally woven for use as coverlets and bedding, they were mainly in natural colors, white, gray, and black. Some tones of yellow, red, green, and blue were introduced with vegetable dyes. Later, aniline dyes added another dimension of color and design.
The use of color and pattern is especially unique to the Finnish ryijy. Dating back to the 18th century, a ryijy was often used as a prayer rug during wedding ceremonies; the tapestry was then hung for display in the couple's home. Ryijy weavers traveled with their loom
s throughout the villages and towns getting commissions to weave a ryijy for special occasions. Different regions had designs specific to the event and colors specific to the local plants for dyes. Designs were often geometric
shapes and florals, or figures of human
s, animal
s, or bird
s. A very typical motif was the Tree of Life
signifying family heritage.
Modern ryijys in 20th century are often works of art designed by textile artists such as Laila Karttunen and Kirsti Ilvessalo. But also painters such as Akseli Gallen-Kallela
designed ryijys, one of the most famous is Liekki ('Flame'). They are mainly used in homes but also in churches and other public places. The materials and designs for ryijys designed by famous designers are on sale for anyone to make them. It used to be a popular hobby down the decades in the past century and still is.
Today ryijy-making techniques include new fibers such as paper string, available in hundred of colors, as is the traditional wool. They are designed for a multitude of places and purposes, but each is an individual work of art.
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
tapestry or cloth rug
Carpet
A carpet is a textile floor covering consisting of an upper layer of "pile" attached to a backing. The pile is generally either made from wool or a manmade fibre such as polypropylene,nylon or polyester and usually consists of twisted tufts which are often heat-treated to maintain their...
.
The name ryijy originated with the Scandinavian word rya, which means "thick cloth". The decorative ryijy rug is an art form unique to Finland. In the late 19th century, ryijy rug weaving
Weaving
Weaving is a method of fabric production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. The other methods are knitting, lace making and felting. The longitudinal threads are called the warp and the lateral threads are the weft or filling...
developed as a folk art
Folk art
Folk art encompasses art produced from an indigenous culture or by peasants or other laboring tradespeople. In contrast to fine art, folk art is primarily utilitarian and decorative rather than purely aesthetic....
. Some of the most beautiful tapestries
Tapestry
Tapestry is a form of textile art, traditionally woven on a vertical loom, however it can also be woven on a floor loom as well. It is composed of two sets of interlaced threads, those running parallel to the length and those parallel to the width ; the warp threads are set up under tension on a...
were woven then.
Ryijys date from as early as the 9th century. Similar in nature to a knotted Persian carpet, the ryijy knots are further apart and are much larger and longer. Originally woven for use as coverlets and bedding, they were mainly in natural colors, white, gray, and black. Some tones of yellow, red, green, and blue were introduced with vegetable dyes. Later, aniline dyes added another dimension of color and design.
The use of color and pattern is especially unique to the Finnish ryijy. Dating back to the 18th century, a ryijy was often used as a prayer rug during wedding ceremonies; the tapestry was then hung for display in the couple's home. Ryijy weavers traveled with their loom
Loom
A loom is a device used to weave cloth. The basic purpose of any loom is to hold the warp threads under tension to facilitate the interweaving of the weft threads...
s throughout the villages and towns getting commissions to weave a ryijy for special occasions. Different regions had designs specific to the event and colors specific to the local plants for dyes. Designs were often geometric
Geometry
Geometry arose as the field of knowledge dealing with spatial relationships. Geometry was one of the two fields of pre-modern mathematics, the other being the study of numbers ....
shapes and florals, or figures of human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
s, animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
s, or bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s. A very typical motif was the Tree of Life
Tree of Life
The tree of life in the Book of Genesis is a tree planted by God in midst of the Garden of Eden , whose fruit gives everlasting life, i.e. immortality. Together with the tree of life, God planted the tree of the knowledge of good and evil . According to some scholars, however, these are in fact...
signifying family heritage.
Modern ryijys in 20th century are often works of art designed by textile artists such as Laila Karttunen and Kirsti Ilvessalo. But also painters such as Akseli Gallen-Kallela
Akseli Gallen-Kallela
Akseli Gallen-Kallela was a Finnish painter who is best known for his illustrations of the Kalevala, the Finnish national epic . His work was considered very important for the Finnish national identity...
designed ryijys, one of the most famous is Liekki ('Flame'). They are mainly used in homes but also in churches and other public places. The materials and designs for ryijys designed by famous designers are on sale for anyone to make them. It used to be a popular hobby down the decades in the past century and still is.
Today ryijy-making techniques include new fibers such as paper string, available in hundred of colors, as is the traditional wool. They are designed for a multitude of places and purposes, but each is an individual work of art.