Sámi (Laplander) Costumes from Northern Norway – Helgeland Region, c.1860
€ 220
Original antique · The actual sheet photographed · Certificate of authenticity on request · Sold unframed · Worldwide shipping from € 15 (rates)
Date
1860
Sheet size
35 × 26 cm (13.8 × 10.2 in)
Condition
Good
Reference
BG-13605-3-13
What the condition grades mean
Excellent
Bright and clean, with no faults worth mentioning.
Very good
Only light signs of age, such as faint toning.
Good
Normal signs of age for a sheet of this period: toning, some foxing, small marks or neat old repairs.
Fair
Clear faults such as staining, tears or repairs, priced to match.
Every fault we see is written in the condition note, and the whole sheet is shown uncropped in the photos.
Condition
Very good condition with vivid colors and only slight age toning in the margins. Image area clean and sharp with strong detail.
About this sheet
Laplander Costumes from Helgeland – Tonsberg Edition, 1860s This rare and colorful 19th-century chromolithograph depicts a man and woman in traditional Sámi (Laplander) dress from Helgeland, a region in northern Norway known for its Arctic landscapes and indigenous heritage. Set in a wooded area beneath tall birch trees, the scene shows the man seated and scraping a wooden ski, while the woman holds up a leather boot or snowshoe, likely part of the couple’s winter gear.
The man wears a knee-length blue tunic with red detailing, belted at the waist, along with red stockings and black shoes. His cap is conical and richly patterned with red, blue, and white—characteristic of Sámi attire. The woman is dressed in a green woolen dress with red bands at the hem and cuffs, secured with a belt. She wears a red hat in a pointed style, matching the man’s. In the background, a Sámi tent (lavvu) can be seen, with a figure and reindeer just beyond, reinforcing the nomadic lifestyle tied to the northern tundra.
This print is Plate 13 from the series Udvalgte Norske Nationaldragter, or Selected Norwegian National Costumes. Published by Chr. Tonsberg in Christiania (now Oslo), the image was lithographed by Winckelmann and Sonner in Berlin, based on original artwork by Johan Fredrik Eckersberg. Created in the 1860s, this series was a landmark effort to document and preserve the varied folk costumes of Norway, including the indigenous Sámi population of the north.
This plate is among the most culturally significant in the series, representing the native peoples of Norway and their unique dress traditions. It holds both ethnographic and artistic value.
Very good condition with vivid colors and only slight age toning in the margins. Image area clean and sharp with strong detail.
Framing tips: Frame in dark wood or black to contrast with the bright reds and blues. Use a neutral ivory or soft gray mount to highlight the figures. Ideal for ethnographic or Nordic heritage collections.
