Stjerne Norwegian Nisse
Stjerne's favorite place in the world is on the peak of a high mountain, in a clearing just above the tree line. You see, Stjerne is a star gazer. On clear nights, the myriad of glowing stars that surround his rugged observatory seem so close he dreams he can almost touch them. Stjerne knows the names of many of the stars, but for those he can’t identify he relies on the ancient star chart he always carries in his sack. This is the same star chart his ancestors, also star gazers, created many generations before him, and on this same mountain top.
Stjerne has a yarn-dyed cotton flannel tunic and cotton/linen yarn-dyed sleeves. His hat, which is topped with an organic cotton yarn tassel, is a beautiful woven pale blue fabric of organic cotton and linen. His legs are also cotton velveteen. He is covered with handstitched patches. Stjerne's boots are ultrasuede. A small man in the moon metal pendant hangs from his ultrasuede belt.
Stjerne carries his ancient star chart in a bag made of a beautiful, intricate woven linen fabric. This linen is grown in northern Italy without the use of herbicides, pesticides or synthetic fertilizers, and is spun into yarn and dyed in northern Italy by a spinner who has earned the "Master of Linen" designation. These craftspeople use only low-impact fiber reactive dyes that have no chemical toxicity. The yarns are woven into the fabric at a mill in southern Italy that has been in the same location for over 100 years. A small glass bead and metal star hang from his bag.
Stjerne's face is bamboo felt. We sew his beard from natural flax fiber (blondish-grey in color) and hand-paint his glass eyes, which were handblown in Germany. He is stuffed with a combination of glass pellets and organic cotton stuffing. His arms are wired.
Far away, in the small mountainous country of Norway, there live a variety of creatures known in Nordic folklore as trolls. These trolls, and their numerous relations, come in all shapes and sizes, from the big ugly mountain trolls, to the small elflike Nisse.
For the most part, they make their homes in the jagged, pine-covered mountains, and spend their days wandering through the beautiful still valleys, surrounded by dark pine trees with only the sound of the wind and the little tumbling streams. Unlike most trolls, which prefer to spend their days with little human contact, ?Nisse? has a special place as an unseen helper in the home.
At Christmas time, Norwegians offer some small tokens of recognition and affection to the Nisse to show that they are accepted as they are- not outwardly beautiful but faithful in all their ways. In return, the Nisse takes good care of the family in the coming year.
All Folklore Norwegian Elf Dolls share the following features:
- Hats are wired for the perfect elf look!
- Handmade pompoms or tassels made from natural fibers.
- Lined tunics of hand loomed cotton, cotton velveteen, linen or other natural fiber.
- Garment dyed cotton or linen sleeves.
- Bamboo felt or ultra-suede mittens.
- Hand sewn patches
- Hand embroidered eyebrows and German glass eyes.
- Felt face, individually hand sculpted. Neck joint allows head to turn.
- Hemp or flax beard and hair, created from raw natural fiber.
- Bodies filled with glass pellets and kapok, or organic cotton stuffing.
- Wired arms for posing and holding important elf possessions.
- Brass or lead-free pewter embellishments: keys, acorns, etc.
- Cotton velveteen legs, filled with glass pellets, jointed at the knees for sitting.
- Ultra-suede boots.
- Hand made accessories.
- 9" high (8" when seated on the cedar wood base).
- A sustainable solid pine stump seat and Folklore of the Nisse story tag are included with each figure.
