The distinctive modernist style of Märta Måås-Fjetterström (1873–1941), a prominent early-twentieth-century Swedish textile artist, spanned centuries and geography. After graduating from what is now the College of Arts, Crafts and Design in Stockholm, Måås-Fjetterström oversaw textile production at various handcraft associations devoted to recreating traditional Swedish folk art tapestries, which clearly informed her artistic output. As a result of exposure to non-Western decorative arts, her design vocabulary also incorporated many features of Asian derivation. In 1919, Måås-Fjetterström opened her own atelier in Båstad—there, she freed herself from the conservative textile workshops which disapproved of her aesthetic choices. Måås-Fjetterström’s signature blend of Scandinavian and Eastern sensibilities would come to define her most dynamic works. This bold wall hanging incorporates geometric shapes resembling hour glasses and Tree of Life motifs; weavings made during Måås-Fjetterström’s lifetime are distinguished from later weavings by the simple signature “MMF.” Natural-colored wool fringe finishes the top and bottom edges.   

Märta Måås-Fjetterström is represented in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Louvre in Paris, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, and the National Museum in Stockholm.