Omenapuita toukokuussa (Apple trees in May)
Translucent weaving, signed and dated Viena Mertsalmi 80
Finland, 1980
Price: SOLD 130,000 ISK
This 1980 piece is a fine example of Viena Mertsalmi’s mature translucent works: a harmonious blend of structure and luminosity, botanical subject matter, and impeccable craftsmanship. It’s ideal for collectors of mid-century Nordic textile art or anyone drawn to elegant, nature-inspired tapestries.
Viena Mertsalmi (1924–2019) was a self-taught Finnish textile artist recognised for lightweight woven tapestries integrating wool, linen, and copper threads. After studying at Ateneum in 1948, she ran her own workshop in Kauratte village from the 1970s, producing commission works, and introducing translucent weaving techniques. Exhibited widely in Finland and abroad from the 1960s onwards, and her works are held in public spaces such as churches and libraries.
This piece is composed using a translucent weaving technique, also called kuultokudos in Finnish: a tapestry woven on a fine warp (typically linen) with wool weft, creating a delicate and airy visual effect. It has accents of copper thread woven alongside wool—an innovation Mertsalmi embraced after her travels in the 1950s—adding subtle metallic shimmer and texture. The scene depicts apple trees in bloom, with softly pleasing tones and stylised organic forms that evoke the freshness of spring.
Dimensions:
65 x 57 cm.