1890 Rosa Asmundsen - Gustavian Blue

Product Description

A beautiful historical floral design featuring richly detailed terracotta-red and burgundy roses, dusty blue flowers, golden-yellow accents and soft green foliage against an elegant, muted Gustavian blue background.

This digitally reconstructed textile pattern is inspired by a traditional Norwegian wool apron preserved in a Norwegian museum collection. The symmetrical floral arrangements and colourful botanical details reflect the decorative traditions of Scandinavian folk costume textiles.

The Gustavian blue background creates a refined contrast with the warm floral colours, giving the design a timeless Scandinavian character.

Perfect for: Traditional Norwegian and Scandinavian folk costume aprons, historical bodices and waistcoats, folk costume caps and bonnets, as well as other heritage sewing projects.

Design & Historical Context

The original inspiration comes from a Norwegian apron (forkle) made from plain-woven wool and decorated with printed flowers in burgundy, blue, black, yellow and brown.

The surviving apron measures approximately 80.5 cm in length and 103 cm in width, with a narrow white linen facing along the lower edge.

The museum dates the original garment to approximately 1800, possibly earlier. Its floral decoration demonstrates the popularity of colourful printed patterns in Norwegian traditional dress.

This Gustavian Blue colourway is a contemporary interpretation of the historical design, created for traditional aprons, fitted bodices, waistcoats and other garments inspired by Scandinavian folk costume traditions.

Original artifact: White wool apron with printed flowers (Hvitt ullforkle med påtrykte blomster)
Dating: Circa 1800, possibly earlier
Material: Plain-woven wool with printed floral decoration
Original dimensions: 80.5 × 103 cm
Object number: HFN 02000

Rosa Asmundsen (1846–1911)

Rosa Anna Charlotte Asmundsen, née Baldani, was born in Christiania (now Oslo) in 1846. She was a Norwegian actress and opera singer who began performing at Christiania Theatre as a child.

During her career, she performed in theatres throughout Norway and Sweden, including Bergen, Trondheim, Gothenburg and Stockholm. She was also known for her operatic roles, including Zerlina in Mozart's Don Giovanni and Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro.

Married to actor Jacob Hveding Asmundsen, she belonged to a theatrical family that contributed to Norway's cultural life during the second half of the 19th century.

The design is named in her honour, celebrating the women who helped shape Scandinavian cultural history.