Flower-covered railing on one of the bridges in central Borås.
The figure in the foreground is not a sculpture, but one of several similar new concrete barriers around town meant to prevent car traffic in pedestrian places. These are roughly cast in the shape of a classic symbol of our town – the peddler. (Borås was founded as a market place back in the 1600’s, and still an important city of commerce.)
There is also an older, proper sculpture of a peddler in one of the main shopping streets:
This statue was made by Arvid Knöppel (1892-1970, best known as one of Sweden’s great animal portrayers); but it has been included in this year’s sculpture biennale brochure together with a few other “oldies”.
“Arvid Knöppel’s Knallen (The Peddler) is a monument and tribute to the little man. For 400 years, peddlers wandered around Sweden selling crafts, textiles, woodwork and metalwork.”
Linking to Good Fences
17 comments:
oh, what a pretty view!
Your town never fails to impress. I'm convinced it's one of the loveliest towns anywhere.
You know how much I like learning about your town, Monica. There is always so much to discover!
How interesting! I had no idea about the peddlers. Are there still any around? Do they ever go door to door, or stay in the streets? The first picture is beautiful! What a beautiful building! Is it an inn? How fun to have mini peddlers block the traffic!
Beautiful photo of the river and bridge. Your town looks like it would be a pretty place to walk around.
gorgeous and that is the longest planter i have ever seen. i do love it..
Thanks TWG! :)
Pauline, you know as well as I do "the magic of the camera" (enabling us to show off the bits we want to)...
Meike, after having been more or less familiar with the town all my life, and having lived here half that time, I still keep realising from time to time that there is yet more to find out.
Ginny, I don't think there's much room in modern society for peddlers. On the other hand, we now have beggars from the poorest of the Eastern European countries sitting in every other street corner - which was unthinkable not only back in my youth but up till just a few years ago. --- The old buildings in the background, along the river, have restaurants on the ground floor.
It is, Janet - if you manage to avoid all the building and digging projects also going on. (One huge renovation project just to the left of this picture - carefully avoided by my camera...)
We have similar flower arrangements on more bridges over the river in central town, Sandra. It really does cheer things up!
I agree that there is so much to see and learn always about places. Our usual view is so transient. I'm sure that I've seen The Pedlar before.
I'm pretty sure too that I've posted pictures of him before, Graham. Probably more than once!
The flowers on the railing sure are pretty. Very interesting about the "Pedlar"
A strange idea to have bollards as sculptures, but quite an interesting one. In Japan I saw a bird museum with railings cast to have little birds perched on the railings.
A strange idea to have bollards as sculptures, but quite an interesting one. In Japan I saw a bird museum with railings cast to have little birds perched on the railings.
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