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About
the Dala Horse |
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Dala Horse Story brought to you by: Hemslöjd, Inc. Swedish
Gifts |
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Dala Horse is a popular Swedish handicraft and souvenir. The
name comes from its home province, Dalarna, in central Sweden.
Most popular are the red-orange horses from the little village of
Nusnäs near Mora. |
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Shop
for Dala Horses Here!
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| Since
Viking Times, the horse has been considered a holy animal. In
many cultures throughout history, wooden horses have been carved as
children's toys. In central Sweden, wood scraps from the local
furniture-making trade, paint-pigment from nearby copper mines, and
long winter evenings bred the development of the Dala Horse.
Traditions vary in giving credit to woodsmen and to soldiers for
originating the craft. Dala Horses from the Nusnäs-Mora area
first appeared with their familiar bright decoration in the 1800's
when the kurbit, or flower patterned saddle, was regularly added to
them. This design comes from the Biblical story in which Jonah
sat outside the city of Ninevah and the Lord caused a Kurbit, or
gourd vine, to grow up beside him to protect him from the desert
sun. |
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Dala Horse gained international popularity when it was chosen by the
National Crafts Union for part of the Swedish display at the Paris
Exposition in the mid-19th century. Skills for creating the
Dala Horse have been passed from generation to generation and today
it is one of the few living folk traditions of Sweden. Men of
the village carve the horses at home, bringing them back to the main
workshop to be painted by skilled artists there. Most Nusnäs-Mora
Dala Horses are the traditional reddish color, but the same
workshops also produce blue, black and natural horses. Other
towns in the region are known for different colors and styles of
horses. |
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seems appropriate that the Dala Horse was selected by the city of
Lindsborg as its symbol of identity with Swedish customs. The
practice of using a Dala Horse-shaped plaque at the entry of homes,
bearing the address or family surname, was begun in Lindsborg by
local artists in the early 1960's. Today the Dala Horse is
recognized as an unofficial symbol of Sweden throughout
Swedish-America. |
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| Hemslöjd
(pronounced hem-sloyd) means "handicraft". Hemslöjd,
Inc. opened in 1984 at the north end of downtown Lindsborg, Kansas,
"Little Sweden, U.S.A." At our workshop we make,
decorate and personalize Dala Horse-shaped
signs. We also
create other Swedish-style wooden items, especially candelabras, and
we custom-etch
glassware. You are invited to watch the
craftsmen at work and visit our gift shop of Swedish and
Scandinavian imports. Be sure to pick up a mail order catalog
of our products. |
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| Thank
you (tack!) for visiting the Hemslöjd on the World Wide Web! |
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