Art & History in Wood Two new ASI books showcase Swedish carvings, Viking-inspired interior design What is the thread that links the founder of a Swedish women’s clothing company, an important Norwegian artist, an international Vikings exhibition and dozens of wood carvings of 19th-century Swedish peasant life? The simple answer is, “Two books soon to be published by the American Swedish Institute” — but it is a little more complicated than that. Over the years, the American Swedish Institute has become known not only for the intricately carved woodwork in the historic Turnblad Mansion but also for its large collection of figure carvings that exemplify the rich tradition of the Scandinavian flat-plane style of wood carving. Among the most important of the major wood carvers included in our collection is Herman Rosell. Rosell was a self-taught artist whose delicately executed figures depict his memories of peasant life in Småland, a region from which many emigrated to the United States because of harsh conditions in Sweden. As its collection of Rosell figures has grown, ASI became interested in republishing an out-of-print book authored in 1977 by Sven Axel Hallbäck. Its original title was Så var det förr: Träsnidaren Herman Rosell berättar i skurna bilder om livet i Sverige på den gamla, goda tiden, or loosely, “As it was before: Wood carver Herman Rosell tells of life in Sweden in the good, old days.” It’s a remarkable book that describes rural life in the late 1800s and uses Rosell’s carvings as the illustrations. Soon to be released by ASI, this book
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The American Swedish Institute
presents a tableau suggesting how people lived and treated each other in days gone by. ASI recently received a gift from Carlson Holdings of a room interior created in 1912 for Anders Andersson, the founder and owner of Twilfit (a women’s clothing company that still exists today). The room was designed by the noted Norwegian artist Gerhard Munthe, crafted in Norway and then installed in Andersson’s apartment. Today, visitors can enjoy the Norse Saga Room in the Lower Level of the Turnblad Mansion, where it serves as a window into the influence of Vikings and Norse mythology on the decorative tastes of early 20th-century Scandinavia. In fact, the room was showcased in 1981 at Stockholm’s National History Museum as part of an international traveling exhibition on the Vikings. It was later was acquired by the late Curtis L. Carlson and installed in his company’s headquarters in Minnetonka, before coming by gift to ASI. The importance of the Norse Saga Room and its interesting history compelled ASI to engage Dr. Claire Selkurt to do further research into the artists who crafted this room and the era it represents. She has authored a rich and engaging narrative that gives important insights into Munthe, whose work in the field of design and decorative arts are of great significance. Both books — the Norse Saga Room and As It Was Before — will be available later this spring in the ASI Museum Store.
