The factory was first built by the Olsson brothers in the year 1928 at an early age of 13 and 15. In order to buy their own band saw machine they took a loan of SEK 400(Indian rupee-2907). They took special care painting down Dalah horse in bright colors. The brushes they used for this purpose were from squirrel’s tail hair. At present there are so many Dalah horse scattered all over the globe, majority of them being manufactured by the company founded by the Osslon brothers.
WHY DALECARLIAN HORSE?
Dalecarlian horses are one of the most prominent symbols of Sweden. The horse was first spotted in 2000 BC along with Neolithic Battleaxe people. These people were highly skilled at taming horses and setting them to work. Eventually, horses were believed to represent strength, courage, loyalty, wisdom and dignity.
A Dalecarlian horse which is also known as Dalah horse is a painted wooden statue of a horse. It is traditionally carved and originated in the Swedish province of Dalarna. In ancient days people used Dalah horse as a toy for children but now it has become an identity of Dalarna and as well as Sweden. There are several types of Dalecarlian horse made but one particular style is commonly carved in a strong and sturdy manner. It is painted in bright red and the horse harness is colored vividly in green, white, blue and yellow.
HOW DALECARLIAN HORSES ARE MANUFACTURED IN NILS OLSSON HEMSLÖJD AB?
The wood that is used to make Dalah horse comes from the slow growing pine forests found around Lake Siljan. This wood is ideal for carpentry and carving. Firstly, the best woods are selected and sawed into suitable sized pieces for the blanks and it is then made into beautiful Dalecarlian horses. The blanks are sawed and carved by hand. After the horses are carved they are dipped into two layers of primer. It is performed to locate the defects that need to be fixed in the woods. After the priming process the cavities in the woods are filled, so it gives extra smoothness. Before the painting the carved horse goes for a final dip. The horses are further polished to give them a smooth attractive finish. It is followed by sanding and painting. The traditional patterns found on the Dalarna horses are called mug painting. The mug painting is done by proficient decorators. Finally all the fine horses are vanished and sent out from Nusnäs to serve as a symbol of Sweden to the outside world.
We made it a point to visit “Nils Olsson Hemslöjd ab “on purpose. We have also planned for future endeavors like this in an attempt to seriously get down into business with a proper understanding and knowledge to manufacture wooden toys. Paying visits to companies across globe teach us the origin and history behind wooden toys. We ultimately believe in the fact that a successful enterprise evolves from the roots of its history. Therefore it’s important to have an unadulterated motive towards it.
