Duodji

Duodji covers the whole range of Sami making: knives with reindeer-horn handles and carved sheaths, wooden cups called guksi cut from birch burl, coffee bags and shoes from reindeer leather, woven bands, and pewter-thread embroidery worked onto leather in fine coiled patterns. The principle behind it is function; objects were made to be used in a herding life, and decoration follows the form rather than replacing it. Materials come from the animals and trees at hand. A registered trademark, Sami Duodji, identifies work made by Sami makers to traditional standards, distinguishing it from mass-produced imitations sold to tourists, which are common. Workshops in Kautokeino and Karasjok sell directly, and markets at Easter bring makers together.

What you actually see

• The reindeer-horn knives - carved handles and sheaths, made to be used.
• The birch guksi - drinking cups cut from burl wood.
• The pewter embroidery - fine coiled metal thread worked onto leather.
• The Sami Duodji mark - a trademark identifying authentic Sami-made work.

When to go

Year-round at workshops and shops; the Easter markets in Kautokeino and Karasjok bring the widest selection and the makers themselves. Winter is when much of the making happens indoors.

Honest expectations

Souvenir shops across northern Norway sell imitation Sami goods made elsewhere, so looking for the Sami Duodji mark matters. Genuine pieces are expensive, reflecting the hours involved. Photographing makers or their work without asking is unwelcome.

Nearby

Kautokeino and Karasjok are the main centres; Juhls Silver Gallery and Sapmi Park are close to each.