Day 10: Talking Shop
Today, I worked in a part of the museum that many can't resist drifting into: the gift shop. I was surrounded by an assortment of interesting items that ranged from novelties to children's books to kitchenware. Working in the gift shop also allows you to interact with patrons in a different way from the rest of the museum. Usually, they are buying souvenirs; however, the rarity of these items draws many local residents regularly. One customer bought a large number of Läkerol, a Swedish brand of licorice candies, to take to her mother in California. "They help sooth her more than any cough drops or syrup. You can't find these anywhere."
Many of the products attested to the practical and simplistic beauty of Scandinavian art. A bobèche is a glass ring at the end of a candle that is used to catch the wax as it falls. My personal favorite product, however, is the Gastromax potato and vegetable slicer, proudly made in Sweden.
These products were interesting, and certainly different, but the store was not short on fascinating history-related items. Take the runes pendants, for example. According to the card that accompanied them, the Nordic tribes of northern Europe conceived of these symbols in 200 B.C. to represent the forces of nature. Picking the right rune enabled the wearer to harness the power that the rune represented. The rune in the picture is feoh, the rune of success. This is to be used if something you desire is within your grasp.
Also on display are products boasting the talent of artist Carl Larsson, a renowned Swedish painter from the Arts and Crafts Movement in the late nineteenth century to the early twentieth century. The Arts and Crafts Movement emphasized simplistic art, calling back to pre-industrial days. One of Larsson's most famous pieces is "Breakfast Under the Birch Tree (1886)," which includes charming, natural details, such as the two wine bottles under the tree and the initials carved into it.
Many of the products attested to the practical and simplistic beauty of Scandinavian art. A bobèche is a glass ring at the end of a candle that is used to catch the wax as it falls. My personal favorite product, however, is the Gastromax potato and vegetable slicer, proudly made in Sweden.
These products were interesting, and certainly different, but the store was not short on fascinating history-related items. Take the runes pendants, for example. According to the card that accompanied them, the Nordic tribes of northern Europe conceived of these symbols in 200 B.C. to represent the forces of nature. Picking the right rune enabled the wearer to harness the power that the rune represented. The rune in the picture is feoh, the rune of success. This is to be used if something you desire is within your grasp.
Also on display are products boasting the talent of artist Carl Larsson, a renowned Swedish painter from the Arts and Crafts Movement in the late nineteenth century to the early twentieth century. The Arts and Crafts Movement emphasized simplistic art, calling back to pre-industrial days. One of Larsson's most famous pieces is "Breakfast Under the Birch Tree (1886)," which includes charming, natural details, such as the two wine bottles under the tree and the initials carved into it.
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