By Robbie LaFleur
If you visit Oslo, be sure to visit the Rådhus (City Hall). The enormous rooms hold monumental frescoes and tapestries, including Lilletorget (1950), designed by Kåre Jonsborg. When it was woven by Else Halling and assistants, it was the largest tapestry woven in Norway to date, at 12’ x 24.5’.
In the main hall, a long marble bench flanks one wall, lined with 60(!) tapestry-woven cushions. Thirteen seat cushions with 26 back cushions are woven with a dark background. Seven seat cushions with 14 back cushions have a light background.
Tapestry cushions in the main hall of Oslo City Hall.
The covers were designed by Else Poulsson (1909-2002) and made by several weavers with Husflid (the Norwegian Handicraft Association) in 1949-1950. Poulsson won other textile design competitions for the new building. A monumental tapestry depicting St. Hallvard, patron saint of Oslo, was hung in the City Council chambers in 1948. In other spaces are tablecloths, upholstery, and curtains by the famed designer.
The bench cushions received seventy years of heavy use; they were worn, stained, and faded. You could see areas with old repairs, and the warp was visible in places. The City administration decided to fund a reconstruction of the cushions, as close as possible to the originals. They contracted with Kristin Sæterdal to outline the scope of the project, including the materials needed and the techniques to be used.
Sæterdal’s report, “Test Project for Cushion Covers,” was quite thorough. She identified the correct warp, Bockens linen 8/4 (although she mentioned that cotton warp could be chosen too, because it wears out less). She identified the tapestry techniques to be used and gave instructions for fashioning the tapestry into cushions. She drew the cartoons and completed her plan for the preliminary reconstruction in 2020.
Tapestry techniques to be used: Pointed dovetail (fig. 1), Steps (fig. 2), Outlining (fig. 3)
Based on Sæterdal’s estimates made during the trial, 80 kilos of thick yarn were ordered from the Hoelfeldt-Lund spinnery. The yarn was dyed at Sandnes Garn (Sandnes Yarn). Colors for the 28 kilos of light yarn and 52 kilos of sheep brown yarn were based on samples from the existing cushion covers.
This is a sample for the ORIGINAL project, woven by Else Poulsen. Owned by the Norsk Folkemuseum. https://digitaltmuseum.no/011023236221/hyndetrekk-prove-til
Dorthe Herup was chosen to head the project in February 2022, and she has a team of four weavers to help reconstruct the cushions. Herup wrote about the importance of the wool that will be used.
“The original textile was woven with spelsau yarn from Spinnerigården and the choice of yarn is important for the appearance and qualities of the textile. Spinnerigården still exists and Per Hoelfeldt Lund, who originally spun the yarn, is still alive. Yarn for this reproduction was spun in 2021 by Per Hoelfeldt Lund. Thus, the yarn is supplied by the same manufacturer as the original. This was also important to us.”
It is wonderful that two well-known contemporary tapestry artists are involved. Kristin Sæterdal conducted the initial research, and Dorthe Herup will lead the project to completion. Kristin Sæterdal’s tapestries are more likely to include spaceships and technology than the geometric historical cushion design, reminiscent of the Viking Age. Dorthe Herup weaves figures in a unique technique, honoring people and families over generations.
It is commendable that Oslo city officials understand the importance of reconstructing the original tapestry cushions. They estimate the entire project should take 2-½ years. If you visit Oslo City Hall after that, admire the beautiful tapestries and frescos and then rest on the beautiful cushions. But don’t spill your coffee.
Marta Kløve Juuhl from Bergen, Norway, is one of the four project weavers. Her first cushion cover is shown in process.
Read more:
Longbers, Ingeborg. “Modern Norwegian Tapestries.” Handweaver & Craftsman, Winter 1953-54, p. 12-13. More information about the tapestries in Oslo City Hall.
Sundbø, Annemor. “Norwegian Tapestry in the Post-War Years.” Norwegian Textile Letter, August, 2021.
Sæterdal, Kristin, “Test project for Cushion Covers.” In Norwegian, but with interesting illustrations. On the Project Documentation page, click on the link for “Vedlegg 1_Forprosjekt rådhusbenk, av Kristin Sæterdal.pdf” and the document will automatically download.
To view the extent of beautiful architecture and ornamentation in Oslo City Hall, see this page from the city’s art collection website: Oslo rådhus.
August 2022
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I love so much about this article and the process of recreating these beautiful tapestries, but the final image of Marta using a fork as her tool of choice is so perfect. Weavers seem particularly skilled at finding and using items as weaving tools that originally served some other purpose.