Arts and Crafts

When you eat in a Finnish restaurant, take a look around. Look at the linen napkins, the porcelain, the glassware, the coffee mug, the Finnish ryiyi rug hanging on the wall. When you're in the sauna you might be using a linen towel and dipping water from a handmade wooden bucket.

Some Finnish crafts have become major industries; you can find Finnish glassware, porcelain and textiles in any shopping district in Finland, as well as in fashionable boutiques around the world.

Many other Finnish arts and crafts have not yet reached a worldwide audience. You might find a homegrown potter or textile artist in many small towns or villages. They sell their wares at local shops or the Saturday morning market. There might be a bronze statue by a local artist in front of the town hall, or a large ryiyi hanging on the wall in the lobby.