Ølhøne

Red List of Norwegian Endangered Crafts

Due to globalism, shifts in the global market, and modern production methods, Norwegian craftsmanship techniques and skills have long been in danger of going obsolete. To prevent this, UNESCO accredited «Norges Husflidlag» as an NGO in 2014, giving them new possibilities to help preserve this vital part of our cultural heritage.

As a result, they have created a red list of Norwegian handcraft techniques that are in the danger of going extinct, called «Rødlista», and are continuously setting up local, expert project groups inviting designers and others who are interested to learn about, and hereby take part in the preservation of, the skills listed.

Kathrine has attended several workshops hosted by this organization, and through an exploration ofthe vulnerable and distinct techniques called lagging, kipebinding, and the making of ølhøne she has designed three unique and contemporary objects; a table, a stool, and a bowl. The products are meant as a homage to the past, aiming to show how age-old crafts and skills can be modernized and made relevant once again.

The first traditional, bird-shaped, wooden drinking vessels called ølhøne saw the light of day more than 300 years ago and were usually heavily ornamented depending on the status of the owner. In this design, the technique has been preserved, but the typical shape and use of the object have been redefined and rather turned into a set of different sized, stylized bowls. These contemporary objects are available in natural pinewood or ultramarine colored pinewood.