Dala Charm

A small horse, standing in profile, mane lifted, tail arched, one front leg slightly raised as if mid-step. Small charms hang from the body on fine links, swinging gently with movement. There is no enamel, no painted detail, no additional hardware — just the form of the horse itself, cast in metal, the same shape that has been carved out of pine in Dalarna for nearly four hundred years.

Dala is short for Dalahäst, the wooden horse from the province of Dalarna in central Sweden. It started as something to do in the long winter nights, woodworkers whittling small horses by the fire, then painting them in the bright reds and floral patterns the region became known for. Over time the Dalahäst stopped being only a toy and became something closer to a household figure, a small horse on the shelf, on the windowsill, given to children, given as gifts, kept around for luck. It is probably the most recognizable object in Swedish folk craft, and it got there quietly, by being made over and over by hand.

We cast this one by hand in New York, lost-wax, the same method as everything in the Folklore collection. The small charms will hang slightly differently on every piece.

Available in sterling silver, gold plated, and 18k gold. Part of the Folklore collection.