Scandinavian Modern Blue Rölakan Flatweave Rug by Berit Koenig Woelfer, Sweden, 1960s

Scandinavian modern blue rölakan flatweave rug by Swedish textile artist Berit Koenig Woelfer, 1960s. This handmade wool rug on a linen warp features stylized pale blue flowers against a mid-blue center, bordered in dark blue. The negative spaces create an optical illusion of star-topped wands. Flower centers and stars are highlighted in white. The monogram signature BW stands for Berit Koenig Woelfer. ABOUT BERIT KOENIG WOELFER Berit Koenig Woelfer, born Berit Björkman in 1925 in Kalmar and passing in 2001 in Torekov, was a prominent Swedish textile artist whose work bridged traditional craftsmanship and industrial design. Active from the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s, she belonged to a generation of Swedish textile designers who created for both handcraft organizations like Svensk Hemslöjd and for industry, adapting her hand-weaving skills to meet the demands of machine production. While many designers of her era engaged with industry, most, like Koenig Woelfer, continued working across both sectors. This dual approach allowed each area to inspire new designs and techniques for the other. After studying textile arts at Konstfack, Koenig Woelfer joined Elsa Gullberg’s textile and interior design firm, later designing colorful rug compositions for Svensk Hemslöjd in Stockholm, including several flatweave (rölakan) and rya rugs. After marrying, she began signing her work with the initials “BKW.” Later, she collaborated with Kasthall, Strömma Textil, and Marks Pellevävare, as well as with Finnish firm Tampella in the 1970s, creating iconic textile collections like “Cook” and “Arc.”