Combining the best of Scandinavian design with a plentiful indigenous supply of trees, the Swedish toy industry has long produced vast quantities of colourful, quality wooden items. This illustrated book looks at over 100 years of Swedish toys, from historic heirlooms to the latest in design and educational value.

The Swedish toy industry has long produced vast quantities of colorful, quality wooden items that reflect Scandinavian design and craft traditions. This superbly illustrated book, including specially commissioned photography, looks at over 200 years of Swedish toys, from historic dollhouses to the latest designs for children. Featuring rattles, full-size rocking horses, dollhouses, and building blocks to skis, sleds, and tabletop games with intricate moving parts, Swedish Wooden Toys also addresses images of Swedish childhood, the role of the beloved red Dala horse in the creation of national identity, the vibrant tradition of educational toys, and the challenges of maintaining craft manufacturing in an era of global mass-production.

Published in association with the Bard Graduate Center

Exhibition Schedule:

Paris, Musée des Arts Décoratifs
(06/18/14–01/11/15)

Bard Graduate Center
March 2015

Stockholm
Summer 2015