Swedish wooden Dala horse - Red with blue/white saddle

In the 17th century little wooden horses were sold at markets in small towns and villages in Dalarna, central Sweden. A hundred years later wooden horses were carved by men working in the forests during long winter evenings and brought back to the villages for the children to play with. These simple wooden horses were later painted in bright colours inspired by the flower patterns painted on furniture and walls in the region. They became an important source of income for poorer families. Even young children had to learn to carve wooden horses after returning home from school. The children of one such family started a small business at the ages of 13 and 15 in 1928. Their children and grand children are still producing the Dala horses to this day using traditional techniques in a little village called Nusnäs in Dalarna. Much work is involved in creating the Dala Horse, from felling the wood in the forests, usually pine, which is then dried for 3 to 4 weeks. After the initial carving (which prevents it from splitting once painted) the design is drawn onto the wood and sawn by machine. Each craftsman carver has his own size of horse he likes to work with. Each horse is hand-dipped and beautifully finished in the traditional artwork by hand.