Guksi or guksie[1] (or Finnish: kuksa; Swedish: kåsa) is a type of drinking cup, traditionally duodji crafted by the Sami people of northern Scandinavia from carved birch burl.[2]
Manufacture
editThe burl is contoured to a rough shape, carefully dried to prevent the wood from cracking, then formed in accordance with the local traditions. Birch burl kuksas last longer than plain birch kuksas. Originally guksi, or kuksa, were widely used in Arctic areas as a personal drinking cup; a well-made guksi would last a lifetime.[3]
Maintenance
editGuksi was traditionally only rinsed with clean water and dried with a cloth after use. No detergents are used, since many people believe that it will damage a guksi.
Modern guksis
edit
Today, a traditional guksi is difficult to find outside northern Scandinavia, partly because burls are seldom harvested in modern mechanized forestry. With the introduction of glass, ceramic and metal drinkingware, the skill of making such duodji artwork has become a pastime skill rather than the essential one as it was in the past. It is considered an advanced level whittling project.[4] Nowadays it is also used for bushcraft. When used this way, it is carved by the person who is going to use it, or it is a gift from a friend.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Roche, Gerald; Maruyama, Hiroshi; Kroik, Åsa Virdi (2018-12-14). Indigenous Efflorescence: Beyond Revitalisation in Sapmi and Ainu Mosir. ANU Press. pp. XVIII. ISBN 978-1-76046-263-5.
- ^ Karlsson, Niklas (2022-10-11). The Art of Whittling: A Woodcarver's Guide to Making Things by Hand. Headline. p. 88. ISBN 978-1-80279-215-7.
- ^ material that a Kuksa is made of: http://finnish-puukko.blogspot.com/2007/02/kuksa-ancient-lapland-drinking-cup.html Archived 2017-09-05 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Gordon, Tony (2021-03-15). Whittling: A Step-by-Step Guide to Wood Carving and Fun Whittling Projects for Beginners. Elite Novelty Printing LLC. p. 109.