Cabinet

The two-part top-mounted cabinet (Swedish: dalaskåp) with stylized floral décor was presumably created in the workshop of Per Lars Olsson (1754–1803), a painter from Dalarna in central Sweden.This manner of decorating interiors and furniture with sprawling leaves and flowers (kurbits painting) is typical for the region and reached its peak between 1780 and 1870. While the region was increasingly marketed as a tourist destination in the 20th century, its motifs also appeared on souvenirs such as the ‘Dala horse’, a wooden toy regarded as the (inofficial) national symbol of Sweden. The style, which is also known as ‘Dala painting’, has been undergoing a renaissance for a number of years now and can be seen on household objects, garments and accessories.