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Swedish Dala Clocks
by Joe Lameondo
http:/www.aroclock.com
For centuries now, Sweden's Dalarna province has been
renowned for its competence in manufacturing clocks and
furniture. Any discussion on Swedish folk art remains
incomplete without animated discourses on Dala clocks.
These clocks are a very popular tourist souvenir. Dala
horse, a small painted toy, is quite famous for its
"Kurbits" peasant style decoration. This decoration also
adorns these clocks.
The Dala style is best known for its wooden horses.
Originally crafted by Swedish lumberjacks for their
children, these painted toys are a folk symbol of Sweden.
The Dala horse is typically a beloved Swedish heirloom
which passes through families for generations.
As a way to support their families, many Dalecarlians
worked away from home seasonally as traveling salesmen and
woodcutters. It was during those winter evenings which
stretched longer than daylight hours that men carved wooden
horses for their families and for profit in the glow of log
fires.
In the 1600s, when domestic handicrafts in Sweden
flourished, the wooden Dala clock came about along with
the Dala horse. The Dalarna province became famous for
its beautiful and sturdy clocks, furniture, hair jewelry,
and wooden horses.
The Dala handicraft has always been a private cottage
industry without support from the Swedish government.
Carvers and painters produce folk clocks by hand.
Trees for Dala crafts are chosen while still standing in
the pine forest around Lake Siljan in Nusnas. In the early
days the horse form was hacked with an axe from wood, which
led to a great variation in form. Today each block of wood
is cut by band saw and then crafted by hand with a sharp
knife. Sheets of pine are used as the base and are set out
to dry three to four weeks clocks from splitting after they
are painted.
Dala craft is associated with bright orange-red color
since this was the color that was readily available from
the iron and copper mines in earlier times. Though,
other colors such as white, blue, or black are also used
to decorate these handicrafts. Some customers prefer the
natural wood color and thus, some pieces are left
unpainted. The base coat is applied thrice by dipping the
items into paint after cutting and sanding. Finishing
touches are applied with bright and glossy paint after
decorating and lettering the handicraft by hand.
The traditional Dala pattern is a stylized floral pattern
that is brightly colored and has Swedish folk symbols.
The pattern dates to early nineteenth century. These
clocks are hand painted and the patterns used are a
difficult art form that takes many years to learn.
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