Trunk

Trunk Norwegian Maker unknown; decorated by Ole Haugen, 1835 Wood, metal, paint Little Norway Collection, Gift of Raymond & Margaret Vicker Charitable Trust MHAHS 2014.073.0020

Decorated Norwegian chests served as vessels from a distant homeland for families making the long journey to America. They were transformed from a decorative yet functional container to an enclosure protecting the personal, the practical and the sentimental. They embodied psychological and physical security. Decorated approximately 20 years before arrival in America, this particular chest brought a family’s possessions to Perry Township in the mid-1850s. Having been passed down in the family, the chest was proudly offered to Little Norway by Guri Jeglum as a memorial to her Norwegian ancestry. Rosemaling, a specialized form of stylized floral painting with centuries-old roots in Norway, decorated these chests and many other household items that you will see in this exhibition.