2 NORWAY'S BOARDS The earliest known Norwegian mangle boards (mangletrær) date back to the late 1500s. They were widely used in the 17th through 19th centuries. Mangletrær were often made of beech wood. Origin: Telemark Date: 1816 A lion sits at the forward end of the field among swirls of intertwined vegetation. Carved by: Kristen Listad Date: 1800 Dense, symmetrical vegetation, mostly leaves with small flowers, covers the board from edge to edge. ALL ABOUT NATURE The defining characteristic of Norwegian mangletrær is their diversity. Norway's boards are far more visual than those of other European countries. Mangletrær illustrate the movement of plants, which can be show by the repetition of similar arabesques (board 1 found on previous page and board 3), a ballet bravura (board 2) and a chaotic swarm (boards 4 and 5). 3 Handles were often animals, such as a horse, lion or bear. This handle is a horse with a hump neck, standup mane and decorative bridal and saddle. Dense, asymmetrical vegetation covers the board. 4 5 22 VIKING AUGUST 2016 sonsofnorway.com PHOTOS COURTESY OF STREAMLINE PRESS: ©2015http://www.sonsofnorway.com