hampi faessler appenzeller sennenhandwerk
january 2002
"I often think I should buy an "I Love Appenzell" t-shirt, because
my thoughts keep going back to this tiny corner in Eastern Switzerland. The last
time I was there I visited a bell saddler - -a man who makes the elaborately
decorated leather straps and collars from which cow bells are suspended. This
is no cheap tourist merchandise. Each little cow or other decoration is cut from
solid brass sheet metal and hand-hammered to etch in the features and decorative
designs. After that they are affixed to the leather straps with the buckles and
elaborate multi-colored embroidery. If you stop by the modest store that Hampi
Faessler keeps in Appenzell you’ll see the types of bells that the cows
who provide the milk for most of Switzerland’s cheeses wear during their
annual Spring and Fall pilgrimages to and from the alpine pastures. Faessler
also has a beautiful collection of antique earthenware milk jugs - -don’t
miss them."
- nick malgieri, schweiz tourismus (myswitzerland.com)
march 15, 2004
"Michelle Pfeiffer bought one for her puppy. Jackie Kennedy put 'em on her
dogs. Olympic diving champion Greg Louganis' Jack Russell terrier wears one.
Is this item designed in Paris or Milan to satisfy the fashion sensibilities
of jet-set clientele? Nein! The Traditional Swiss Collar is a hand-crafted strap
that evolved 250 years ago in a rural alpine region of Switzerland.
making the dog collars is a family business? what's the name of the family? (Mary Dawn) Faessler. The Faessler family has been working with leather since the 1700s. Before the collars, they were already making saddles and bridles, leather straps for cowbells --
cowbells are swiss? Swiss farmers still have cowbells
that each have different sounds, so that each farmer knows whose
cow it is. The Faesslers made leather straps for cowbells, and
the Faesslers were the first family to decorate cows, goats, horses
and dogs for the Alpauffahrt and Alpabfahrt processions. The Faesslers
have now been making the dog collars for seven generations.
(Stefan) The production of the Swiss collars is just a small, three-person
operation led by Hampi Faessler."
lebendige handwerkliche tradition Doch nicht nur reiches Brauchtum, auch handwerkliche Traditionen sind im Appenzellerland lebendig. ...Ein paar Strassen weiter steht das Haus von Hampi Fässler, der wie sein Vater schon als Sattler das Ledergeschirr für die Senntumsschellen oder auch die reich mit metallenen Verzierungen versehenen Trachtenhosenträger herstellt.
© 2006, hampi fässler | info@hampi-faessler.ch
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