Dagestad museum

Dagestad and the dragon style

The woodcarver Magnus Dagestad (1865–1957) was one of the most prominent representatives of the dragon style in Western Norway. He founded a workshop and woodcarving school in Voss, and was head of the arts and crafts school Norsk Kunsthandverksskule for many years.

Dagestad was apprenticed to Lars Kinsarvik in Hardanger. During his apprenticeship, Dagestad met his first wife – Helena Bu. Helena practised the art of Norwegian rose painting, and selected the colours and painted the subjects on many of his most famous works.

In 1950, on his 85th birthday, Magnus Dagestad opened a small museum dedicated to his life’s work. His descendants went on to build a bigger museum, which opened in 1977. Many of Dagestad’s works are displayed here. Hardanger and Voss Museum took over the running of the museum in 2016. Contact Voss Folk Museum if you want to visit Dagestad museum.