Object of the month: Gápmagat ja Čázehat

Gápmagat ja Čázehat

This month we are displaying traditional Sámi footwear for children. These objects were donated to the museum as part of a larger collection by Anny Haugen and the Folk Art and Craft Association in Finnmark. As head of the association and principal of the Finnmark school for handicraft, Haugen was very dedicated to preserving knowledge of Duodji, Sámi handicraft.

The Gápmagat, winter footwear from reindeer fur, were purchased at a Duodji exhibition in Karasjok in 1951. They are finely executed from leg hides of reindeer calves, they show no sign of wear and appear never to have been used.

The Čázehat, summer footwear from reindeer hide, are a bigger mystery. They are supposed to have come from the Art and Craft Association but are not mentioned in the donation agreement and we know nothing of their origin. The Čázehat are filled with bladder sedge for insulation, and unlike the Gápmagat, show signs of heavy use.

Written by Lena Karlstrøm, curator