THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING SWANS AND MAIDENS
A Frida Hansen Tapestry Tale
Text by Robbie LaFleur
I love tapestry mysteries - finding missing tapestries, or identifying tapestries with lost information. When I tried my best to figure out the location of Frida Hansen’s tapestry, Sørover [Southward], missing for ninety years, I failed! But when well-known rug dealer Peter Pap opened a plastic bin in 2021 and spied a folded tapestry with swans, he knew immediately he had struck tapestry gold. A quick google search turned up an article I wrote and he realised he was solving a mystery.
Frida Hansen (1855-1931) was an internationally-known Norwegian Art Nouveau artist at the turn of the 20th century. She created monumental tapestries that were purchased by museums across Europe, but her roots grew from traditional weaving in Norway.
Image: Frida Hansen, Southward, 1903. © Peter Pap. Image above: Frida Hansen, The Norwegian Tapestry Weaving Mill (manufacturer), "Kveder (Quince)" / "Tjørn (Thorns)", 1903. © Nasjonalmuseet / Andreas Harvik.
During the 1890s Frida Hansen worked to rediscover old Norwegian weaving techniques and to build a thriving weaving business to support herself and others. She was deeply interested in the qualities of Norwegian wool, natural dyes, and historical Norwegian tapestry techniques.................................
Text by Robbie LaFleur
I love tapestry mysteries - finding missing tapestries, or identifying tapestries with lost information. When I tried my best to figure out the location of Frida Hansen’s tapestry, Sørover [Southward], missing for ninety years, I failed! But when well-known rug dealer Peter Pap opened a plastic bin in 2021 and spied a folded tapestry with swans, he knew immediately he had struck tapestry gold. A quick google search turned up an article I wrote and he realised he was solving a mystery.
Frida Hansen (1855-1931) was an internationally-known Norwegian Art Nouveau artist at the turn of the 20th century. She created monumental tapestries that were purchased by museums across Europe, but her roots grew from traditional weaving in Norway.
Image: Frida Hansen, Southward, 1903. © Peter Pap. Image above: Frida Hansen, The Norwegian Tapestry Weaving Mill (manufacturer), "Kveder (Quince)" / "Tjørn (Thorns)", 1903. © Nasjonalmuseet / Andreas Harvik.
During the 1890s Frida Hansen worked to rediscover old Norwegian weaving techniques and to build a thriving weaving business to support herself and others. She was deeply interested in the qualities of Norwegian wool, natural dyes, and historical Norwegian tapestry techniques.................................
Want to read more of this article?
We are proud to be a subscriber-funded publication with members in 185 countries. We know our readership is passionate about textiles, so we invite you to help us preserve and promote the stories, memories, and histories that fabric holds. Your support allows us to publish our magazine, and also ‘what's on’ information, and subscription interviews, reviews, and long-read articles in our online blog.
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER? CLICK HERE TO ACCESS CONTENT
