The Dala wooden horses and roosters are genuine Swedish wooden crafts. There is a very interesting history behind this wooden craft.

Some authors claime that the Dala Horses originated in the Swedish province of Dalarna (Dalecarlia) probably in 1700's. In those days the dala horse was mostly a toy for children, but nowadays it is dominating as a symbol for Dalarna or even sometimes for the whole of Sweden. Most of the turists who visit Sweden they always look for this unique piece of wooden horses for their beloved one from Sweden. Dala horse is very Swedish!

The Dala Horse became internationally known as an unique wooden Swedish dala horse after the displayed at the Paris Exposition in the mid-19th century. The design and hand painting skills used in creating the Dala horses were so unique and uncommon that Dala horse was accepted by many audiences as one of the most popular wooden craft in Europe.

Since then exact 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. The preparation of dala horse is very time consuming but performed with great care and love.

Men of the village carve the horses at home, bringing them back to the main workshop to be painted by skilled artists there. All the woods that are used are very special and unique qualities.

Most Nusnäs-Mora Dala Horses are the traditional reddish color. But due to growing demands of dala horses in various colors, the same workshops also produce blue, black, white, yellow and natural horses. that are presented on Traditional Dala Horse pages.

Dala Horse or Swedish dala horse has evolved into a symbol of all Swedish handicrafts. The traditional colour of Dalarna horses is a bright orange-red, but they are also to be found in natural wood, or painted white, blue, or black, all with brightly colored painted kurbit-type trim.

Every horse is unique as it is hand curved and painted by at least nine different persons with their different skills.

We sell only dalarna hoses that are made by Nils Olsson Hemslöjd located in Nusnäs, Sweden in the province of Dalarna. Nils Olsson has also been making wooden roosters mora clocks, and more!

Bellow you find links of different pages of swdish crafts - dala horses!