Crafts from Fairy Tale Land: Lienchtenstien

Art and Craft from Liechtenstein

Is this place famous for Arts? May Be?

What appealed me a lot about this country is size. It is sixth small country in the world and has an amazing history and Present.

So I thought to make everyone know more about this country from my eyes.

 Liechtenstein

It is a tiny, beautiful country with a population of 30,000, located in the heart of Europe. It is as old as 3000 B.C. It is a Roman Catholicism state with 85% of the people are Catholic and 7 % protestant. State enjoys the freedom of religion.

It is a German speaking, 25 Km-long, lying between Austria and Switzerland. In 5 AD German people arrived at this place. After 1991, it is member of European Community. Since 1984, Prince Hand Adams has been Liechtenstein’s reigning monarch.

It’s known for its beautiful Medieval Castles, Alpine landscapes, villages and mountains spread at east. 

Liechtenstein Landscapes Image 1

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Liechtenstein Landscapes Image 4

Liechtenstein Castles Inside  Image 5

Liechtenstein Castles   Image 6

Liechtenstein Castles   Image 6

Liechtenstein Castles  Image 6

Liechtenstein Castles  Image 8

Liechtenstein Castles   Image 9

Liechtenstein Castles   Image 10

Life at Liechtenstein

Though being an ancient land, Liechtenstein presently can be seen as a modern, industrialized country with highest standards of living in the world.

Most families’ lives in single homes, apartments or houses made of houses.

Dwelling ranges from wooden scattered across picturesque mountain villages to modern multistory apartment buildings.

Though it has high developed system of roads and highways, Private automobiles are major means of transportations.

Highways run to connect to Austria and Switzerland. Low cost public transport is provided by postal buses. These buses run through Austria- Liechtenstein –Switzerland.

There is no Airport at Liechtenstein. One Railway is there run by Austrian Federal Railways. 

Liechtenstein Houses Image 1

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Liechtenstein  Houses Image 8

Culture and Clothing

The great treasure of Liechtenstein is the art collection of its prince, which dates back to 1660’s. Housed at Vaduz, the capital, is the second largest private art collection in the world.

It is one of the finest art collection, with many masterpieces cover a wide range of periods and schools of art.

It includes sculptures, tapestries, silver and porcelain, paintings by Breughel the Elder, Botticelli, Rembrandt, Rubens and master of Renaissance art. 

Sculptures

sculpture at Vaduz 1

Sculpture at Vaduz 2 

Sculpture at Vaduz 3

Sculpture at Vaduz 4

Sculpture at Vaduz 5

Porcelains of Liechtenstein  

Porcelain art work Liechtenstein 1

Porcelain art work Liechtenstein 2

Porcelain art work Liechtenstein 3

Porcelain art work Liechtenstein 4

Porcelain art work Liechtenstein 5

Porcelain art work Liechtenstein 6

Porcelain art work Liechtenstein 6
Finest Art Princely Collection at  Liechtenstein

Finest Princely Art Collection at Liechtenstein 1

Finest Princely Art Collection at Liechtenstein 2

Finest Princely Art Collection at Liechtenstein 3

Finest Princely Art Collection at Liechtenstein 4

Finest Princely Art Collection at Liechtenstein 5

Finest Princely Art Collection at Liechtenstein 6

Finest Princely Art Collection at Liechtenstein 7

Finest Princely Art Collection at Liechtenstein 8

Finest Princely Art Collection at Liechtenstein 9

Finest Princely Art Collection at Liechtenstein 10

Finest Princely Art Collection at Liechtenstein 11

It also has musical tradition. Brass brands and vocal ensembles are common rituals areas.

The people here are identified by the same clothing as U.S people wear.

Their Traditional Costume is Trachten. It has a knee length breech, a flat black hat, and a wollen jacket called “Loden”. This is dressing for male to be worn at festivals and occasions.

Females wears are consist of full gathered skirt and an apron. 

Clothing Style Image 1

Contemporary clothing style Image 2

Traditional clothing style Image 3

Occasional and Festive clothing style Image 4

All above are the images of clothing styles of Liechtenstein 

Liechtenstein Crafts and Hobbies

The most visible craft includes basket weaving, barrel making, clog carving, and the fashioning of elaborate rakes.

Barrel Factory at Liechtenstein  Image 1 

A traditional Wine barrel Image 2

Barrel  n Bear table  Image 3

The art of Liechtenstein , The Barrel Image 4

Clog Carvings 

Wood carving Image 1

Wood carving Image 2

Clog carving Image 3

All above are the traditional clogs carving and wood carving arts  

At present time, most common activities are modern craft of pottery, sculpture and woodcarving.

Liechtenstein is world famous for its postal stamps. These are good source of revenue generation for government. These stamps are valuable as  many of it are based on paintings found in the prestigious at collection.

Postal Stamps the heart of Liechtenstein  

Postal Stamps depicting Liechtenstein  Image 1

Postal Stamps depicting Castles Image 2

Postal Stamp depicting landscapes Image 3

Postal Stamp depicting Porcelain art Image 4

Postal Stamp depicting art of alpine forest Image 5

Postal Stamp showing Harp the musical instrument Image 6

Folklore

During seventeenth century, a savage wave of witch hunts swept over the reign of the country. A fiddler named Hans Jori, who unknowingly plays at a party thrown by a group of witches. The witches vanished when he disobeyed them by drinking a toast to his own health. After this he found himself seated on a scaffold holding a bleeding OX’s hoof’ a symbol of witchcraft, in his hand.

Another interesting tale, tells a farmer suspects that a witch spell is preventing his butter from thickening. After he thrusts a red hot pitchfork into it, it thickens right away. The farmer suspicions are proven when he then approached by a witch who has bur n makes on her hand shaped like the prongs of the pitchfork. 

Source courtesy : 

Carrick, Noel. Let's Visit Liechtenstein. London: Pegasus House, 1985.

Gall, Timothy, and Susan Gall, ed. Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations. Detroit, Mich.: Gale Research, 1995.

Meier, Regula A. Liechtenstein. Santa Barbara, Calif.: Clio Press, 1993