The lectures on Scandinavian textiles were divided in two sessions on Friday 17 June 2011. Anette Granlund and Margareta Nockert were moderators and the speakers included Margareta Nockert, Marina Zasetckaia, Désirée Koslin, Gunnar Nilsson and Wendel Swan.
Margareta Nockert spoke about “The Soumak Technique in Scandinavia from the 5th Century to the End of the 13th Century”. The technique first occurred on tablet woven bands with patterns typical for the Scandinavian animal ornamentation of the 5th century. A wallhanging dated to the second part of the 13th century was the last one in the Scandinavian tradition of soumak weaving.
Marina Lvovna Zasetckaia’s lecture was entitled “Ryijy Carpets of Finland in the Russian Ethnographic Museum”. The lecture presented the Russian Ethnographic Museum collection of the ryijy- rugs, acquired for the museum on the territory of the Häme Province of Finland in 1911–1914.
Désirée Koslin spoke about textiles by the Sámi people and her lecture was entitled “Duodji on the Warp-weighted Loom: Rátnu Flatweaves of the Sámi People”. Among the Sámi people in the Scandinavian circumpolar region, an archaic weaving method using the warp-weighted loom has survived in the woolen flatweaves, rátnu. These weftfaced plain weaves, patterned in stripes on white ground, were used as blankets and door covers for the traditional Sámi dwelling, goáhtti, and are today highly appreciated.
In the second session Gunnar Nilsson held a lecture “Scania textiles made in the technique of Dove-tail tapestry (Flamskväv ) and Interlocked tapestry (Röllakan)”.
Wendel Swan spoke about Swedish textiles in a lecture entitled “Swedish Folk Weavings: Similarities to and Differences from Their Middle Eastern Counterparts”. His presentation provided an introduction to the Swedish folk weavings called agedyna and jynne (cushion covers), täcke (large covers) and rya (pile weavings) produced roughly between 1700 and 1850. These weavings have become highly collectible and are deemed national cultural treasures in Sweden. Although their materials and structures are sometimes distinctively Swedish, they compare in size, design and appeal to Middle Eastern weavings such as khorjin, mafrash, yastiks and covers.
