Description

These little gnomes provide a vigilant eye and joyful spark to your home, no matter the season. Each Tomte is hand made and is going to have its own character with variations between each one.

The Legend of the Tomte

A Tomte (or tomtar, plural) is an essential part of Nordic folklore. They’re mischievous but devoted little elves or gnomes who have tasked themselves with the protection of a homestead – especially the children and animals. They patter around at night, checking on the sleeping inhabitants and leaving tiny footprints in the snow. Originally it was thought that the Tomte was the ancestral spirit of the first farmer to own a plot of land (tomt in Swedish). Although they are loyal caretakers, they may also cause trouble if the house or farm isn’t run to their liking… With the feelings of isolation and uncertainty that the last few years have brought, it’s nice to know that someone’s looking out for you – whether it’s a friend, spouse, or neighbor. The Tomte provides a joyful reminder that you are in good company. 

About AO Glass

AO stands for Arentzen-Ohlander. Rich Arentzen and Tove Ohlander founded AO Glass in 2007. Arentzen’s main focus is to communicate the importance of a healthy workplace. Inclusivity, equality, and a living wage all matter at AO. It is important to show that today, and beyond, one can work with a practical craft and pass on traditions of manufacturing. Arentzen has worked at all stages of the glass manufacturing business: as the assisting glassblower, learning fine techniques in Italian glassblowing style, as a glassblowing educator, designer of art glass, producer of lighting components by mold blowing, running production teams, overseeing orders, and so much more. Ohlander grew up in a densely glass-cultured area of the world, Småland, aka. the Glass Kingdom, in Sweden, where glass tradition goes back hundreds of years. Ohlander is an artist and has worked in glass manufacturing as a glassblower, designer, in product development, and in marketing. She creates freehand engravings at AO, and in addition to glass, Ohlander also runs Tove by design, a design and work-wear brand. Rich and Tove met at the Orrefors (Sweden’s National) School of Glass in 1994 and started their first glass blowing studio in Baerum’s Verk, Norway in 1998. Drawn to Burlington, they moved to Vermont in 2007 and started AO Glass.