Ancestral Patterns
by Murray Crane
Webb’s has a rare Feltex Rug in their latest auction.
In 1972, artist Don Ramage designed a striking wool rug, commissioned by the New Zealand Wool Board and produced by Feltex. Bold and graphic, it drew from Māori rock art, signalling a new confidence in local design and a genuine engagement with indigenous culture.
Ramage (1923–2011) was a New Zealand illustrator, printmaker, and designer whose sharp visual language helped define the post-war era. His Feltex rugs formed part of a wider Wool Board initiative, inviting leading artists to translate local imagery into contemporary textiles.
The collaboration marked a high point for New Zealand manufacturing: Feltex had the capability and ambition to match Ramage’s vision, producing a textile that was both artistic and industrial. Rare surviving examples now serve as reminders of a brief but powerful moment when creativity and production worked in unison, bridging fine art and everyday design.
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