THE PERSONS BEHIND THE BOOK

Leena Willberg, MA, is retired from the position of amanuensis of the Tampere Museums. She is among the leading specialists on the Finnish ryijy rugs. During her long carrier she has e.g. documented and studied the large collection of ryijys at the Tampere museums and participated in producing an exhibition and a publication on this collection. She has written on ryijys on many occations, the last one being the comprehensive series on Finnish antique objects, edited by Kari -Paavo Kokki. In the book The Ryijy-Rug Lives on Leena Willberg has written The story of the ryijy as well as a description on each ryijy.

Tuomas Sopanen, PhD, has been working as professor in plant physiology and biotechnology at the University of Joensuu and has now retired. He has gathered a ryijy collection containing most of the main types of folk ryijys and ryijy models from the end of the 18th century to this year. He planned the general concept of the book, functioned as editor, translated most of the texts into English, and published the book. The checking of the translation was done by Jyri Kokkonen. Tuomas Sopanen also tells about the growth of his collection. During 9.5.08-28.9.08, 86 of the ryijys are exhibited at the Art Museum in Varkaus, Finland; the ceramist Leena Mäki-Patola is responsible for the presentation.

Kari Jämsén from the Cultural-Historical Museum of Kuopio took all the photographs and participated with Leena Mäki-Patola and Tuomas Sopanen in the choice of the details.

Irmeli Ilmanen, Studio Kukkonen and Ilmanen, is responsible for the typography and layout of the book. She has been rewarded for the design of beautiful books both in Finland and abroad. It is on her initiative that the details received an important role in the design of the book, and she is responsible for the beauty of the book.

Katri Haahti:
Etude II, detail
Designed in 2005
Woven by the artist