Browsing by Subject "ryijy"

The aim of this qualitative research was to study rya technique’s use in clothes between the 1960s and 2017. Rya is a Nordic craft technique that is traditionally seen as a wall hanging or a rug; but in fact, it was originally used as an utility article rather than a decorative textile. It was only later that it was recognized as a valued art textile. The Vikings for instance replaced their furcapes with rya because of its practical value but now it is used in clothing more for its aesthetic qualities. Studies so far have focussed exclusively on rya’s most well-known use as a decorative article therefore leaving a vacuum in the literature. The current study fills that gap by taking a different perspective on rya as a technique that adds another level to clothes. The current study was undertaken using content analysis based on 25 visual data on clothing items that used the rya technique. This secondary data was collected from a few books, but mostly from the internet using sites like Google, Pinterest and Instagram. The analysis was done by grouping the data into themes that emerged through the researcher’s observation. The themes were rya’s location, composition, patterning, design and colour as well as pile’s density, length, yarn’s spiral grain and the item’s date. Rya technique was used in a variety of clothe types but mostly in jackets. As a decorative technique, it was mostly placed on the whole garment rather than just as a detail. Usually, it was multi-coloured, adding a multi-dimensional effect to the clothing article. Natural and abstract shapes were more common than geometrical and performative shapes. The most unusual clothing article with rya technique was a bodysuit which demonstrated rya’s versatility and creative application to any kind of clothing if desired. The findings of this study indicate that rya has tremendous possibilities as a design technique for adding unique texture to clothes due to its three-dimensional characteristics. With this technique, it is possible to design interesting details to clothes that would rather appear somewhat plain, for example to a minimalistic shirt’s sleeves. Although more studies need to be done in order to establish rya technique’s use in clothes, the findings of this study is important as it adds another dimension to the literature and points the way to further research on the topic.

The aim of this qualitative research was to study how colours are used in Finnish rya rugs and the semiotic meanings they communicate through the rugs. Throughout history, colours have played important and meaningful roles in textiles. This also applies to rya and it is seen as a significant aspect of Finnish rya tradition. The three dimensional texture of rya provides fascinating possibilities of colour usage. Rya is a Nordic craft technique that is traditionally seen as a wall hanging but it was originally used as an utility article rather than a decorative textile. It was only later that it was recognized as a valued art textile with its richness of colours. The current study was undertaken using semiotic visual analysis based on visual data on ryas. 48 secondary data was collected from the literature of this field. The artefacts were divided into three historical eras which were; decorative ryas (1779–1898), interior ryas (1899–1939) and art ryas (1940–1979). The analysis utilised a colour analysis framework developed by the researcher based on Itten’s seven colour contrast scheme and themes that emerged from the researcher’s own observation of the current study using ATLAS.ti. The framework can also be applied to other textiles colour research. Red ryas were most common in the beginning, after which beige and brown took over. In the latest era, after the Second World War blue emerged as a popular newcomer in addition to previously preferred red and brown. At first the colours were sharp, distinct, graphical and performative but colour usage most drastically changed in the latest era as the colours became increasingly artistic, free-formed and abstract. The colour areas grew larger and the hues became darker even though white was found increasingly. The early rya consisted of a high hue contrast which was notable as popularity in red-green complementary contrast combination became evident. Even though the hue contrast became more subdued later, the size of the hue chart became larger. The first era’s colours symbolized the owner’s social position and the power of church whereas in the mid era colours symbolized nationalism, modernization and the appreciation towards visual art. In the latest era, colours symbolized more, the designer’s artistic expression and psyche as well as upturn and advanced chemical industry after the war. The findings of this study indicate that colours were heterogenic and were clearly employed to represent the specific era and its cultural signifance in the society the item was made. The study is significant as it highlights the importance of colour in ryas as previous studies have paid much less attention to the aesthetics of colours.

In Finland, the wedding rug adorns one of the most special occasions in human life: the wedding ceremony in a church setting. The recognized tradition of the Finnish rug and the content, which the church setting provides for the purpose of its use, are combined in a wedding rug. In this study, the wedding rug is approached from these two perspectives. While both the Finnish rug and church textiles have previously been studied widely, the wedding rug has been less focused on. This study aims at investigating the location, characteristics and meanings conveyed in wedding rugs in the church buildings of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. Jakobson’s communication model, which is applied by Riikka Ryökäs (2002) in her dissertation, is used in order to study the communicative nature of wedding rugs. In this study, the focus lies on the context, code and channel aspects of the communication model. The study was carried out in two parts. For the first part, a survey was sent to all the congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland in order to map the wedding rugs in the country. The survey also sought to find the characteristics of the wedding rugs. For the second part of the study, 12 wedding rugs, located in different places across the country and designed in different time periods, were chosen amongst the data. The communication model was applied in order to analyze the chosen rugs. 142 congregations filled out the survey and 236 wedding rugs were found. There were ten congregations or church settings in which no wedding rugs were found. The findings of the study shed light on the characteristics and the messages of the wedding rugs, as well as confirm the findings of previous studies. The messages, which the wedding rugs convey, can be categorized into four themes which include marriage, Christianity, localness as well as nature. The codes of message are pictorial motifs, colors and the titles of the wedding rugs. The form, material and rug technique are used as a channel for the message conveyed. The information regarding the designer and the context functions as complementary as well as explanatory for the message of the wedding rug.