When he was young, the prospects of Sámi handicraft were poor, especially as concerns the handicraft made by men. Industrial products had replaced the tools, dishes, containers and other objects in which things were kept that had been traditionally made at home, and there were only few masters of Sámi handicraft left.

Ilmari Tapiola learnt the basic skills of Sámi handicraft on the courses held at Christian Folk High School of Inari, where his teachers included Ilmari Laiti and Juhan Rist. In 1974, Tapiola left - with two other Sámi from Finland - for the Sámi High School of Jokkmokk, Sweden, to continue his training there for two years.

The handicraft exhibition of Ilmari Tapiola displays chests, dishes, bowls, boxes, knives, reeds, shuttles, horn spoons, belt buttons and hooks. Tapiola's handicraft is characterized by distinct designs and strongly dyed stylized ornamentation that has been carved on the pieces of handicraft.

His themes include braids, plaits, basket-work ornamentation, stars and suns, but sometimes he decorates, freehand, his work with natural motifs and figures from the Sámi drums. He makes his handicraft both for the use of his own family and for sale.

The handicrafts of the exhibition are made of "hard" materials, that is, from birch gnarls and the high quality antlers of a bull reindeer. The gnarl lids of chests and containers and the handles of gnarl cups have been decorated with antler inlays. Some knife sheaths, reeds and shuttles are made from only one material: horn.

The carvings on the horn are made visible with the help of a colour that has been ground from charcoal. Air compressor tools have made it easier to work the materials, but it is now more difficult to actually get a hold of the materials that one needs.

The exhibition was conducted with the help of Finnagora and the Museum of Ethnography
Photos: Siida Múzeum, Martti Rikkonen

On display until 28 November"

Source:  Museum Of Ethnography

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