By Laurann Gilbertson
Photo: Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum
Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum has a new rya or pile-weave coverlet. It belonged to Karn Aambø Unhjem, who was born in Ørsta, Møre og Romsdal, Norway, in 1881.
Karn’s brother, Andreas Aambø immigrated to the U.S. and settled in Sigourney, Iowa. In 1898 he returned to Ørsta and brought his three sisters – Karn, Caroline, and Lisa – back with him to Iowa to help with a hotel he and his wife Anna owned in Sigourney. By 1900 Karn and Lisa had returned to Norway. Caroline married and moved to Marinette, Wisconsin.
Back in Ørsta, Karn found work in a tailor shop owned by Magnus Oscar Unhjem. Karn and Magnus married in 1909. At that point, Karn became Karen because Magnus thought it was more refined to spell the name with an “e”. The Unhjems had 8 children: Hulda, Elsa, Arne , Ragnar, Kaare, Berta, Olga, and Magnhild. Karen died in Ørsta in 1937.
The rya hung on the wall in the home of Karen and Magnus. It had originally been two panels sewn together. The rya was separated after Magnus’s death in 1955. One panel was given to son Kaare and one panel to daughter Elsa. Elsa gave her panel to her daughter Grete and son-in-law Mark Unhjem, and it was this panel that was donated to Vesterheim. The whereabouts of the other panel is unknown and the family does not remember if there were initials or numbers woven into it. The weaver is unknown.
Back of the rya; note how the knots of the pile are not visible. Photo: Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum
The panel is 28.25” wide and 65” long. The twill ground has a wool warp sett at about 13 warp ends per inch and a wool weft of 25 picks per inch. The warp is natural sheep white and brown with two shades of purple. The purple was likely dyed with korkje, a fermented lichen dye that was commonly used in Norway. The weft is white.
The pile side is made up of rows of knots of natural sheep white and brown wool. Most of the knots are white with just a scattering of brown.
Photo: Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum
Near the top, brown knots have been placed to form the numbers for a date of “1881.” The top-most row of knots are cotton rags, well used and faded. The knots do not show on the smooth side of the coverlet. The rya is hemmed at both ends. The hem was rolled to the pile side and then was neatly and firmly sewn with purple yarn.
Photo: Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum
Vesterheim 2018.037.001 – Gift of Berit Aus, Hans Magnus Aus, Karen Hagrup, Grete Unhjem, Mark Unhjem, Erik Unhjem, Lars Gilbertson – all grandchildren of Karen Unhjem who lived in the USA.