Nusnäs
Paper
27" x 6.5"

The original Dala Horse (Dalahäst) has been around for many centuries and developed during the Viking age as the Vikings considered the horse to be a sacred animal. When Christianity came to Sweden most of the country was Christianized with the exception of the northern part of the region Dalarna where the authentic versions of the horse come from. They are decorated with a painting style called kurbits that started in the towns of Leksand and Rättvik in Dalarna around 1780 to decorate church interiors. The word comes from the kurbit, or gourd, plant which grew up around Jonah in the Old Testament. The typical kurbits looks like a vase which explodes into firework display of flowers and petals. The Dala Horse has evolved into a symbol of all Swedish handicrafts and can be found in all sorts of Swedish souvenir shops so we do not carry it. However, we admire the object and chose to have this folding card to represent the Dala Horse.