Interior

Pictures taken before the restoration. 

 

The interior intarsia wood-inlay was designed by Ewald Dahlskog, who sparked a revival in intarsia and came to be regarded as one of Sweden’s leading artists of the period. For Princess Svanevit the intarsia Dahlskog created combined traditional maritime designs with the clean, elegant style that was characteristic of his work.

 

Small brass plaques bearing master-carpenter Hjalmar Wikstöm’s company name reveal who made the interior, but whether they also assembled it isn’t known – maybe this was done at Plym’s Neglinge boatyard.

 

The luxury of the time is seen in Princess Svanevit’s salons. In the first salon there’s the “cosy corner,” an American-inspired feature, like so many during that period. This consisted of a comfortable sofa or day bed which, as became fashionable then, could be used in a more casual way. Much of the more lavish intarsia decoration is located here. 

 

Further forward is a larger salon which is dominated by two settees along the intarsia-adorned walls and has a central folding table.

 

Motifs and symbolism

 

Erik Åkerlund chose motifs that were personal to him. Of course, given Princess Svanevit’s name, these include “the Princess” and “the Swan.”

 

Two intarsia motifs show lighthouses: Vinga lighthouse outside Gothenburg and Landsorts lighthouse on Öja island near Nynäshamn. These represent the west and east coasts of Sweden – Åkerlund had lived on both.

 

Åkerlund had a close connection to America which is represented by Santa Maria, the ship Columbus voyaged on when he discovered America, and the Viking longship of Leif Erikson, who may well have been the first European to set foot in America. Åkerlund wanted also Princess Svanevit to go down in history.

 

Two gods are depicted: One is Venus, goddess of love and womanly beauty, in her seashell. The other is Apollo, god of light and art, who, as he is often portrayed, is riding on a dolphin while playing his lyre.

 

The most centrally placed motifs show three other sailing boats owned by Åkerlund SK 95 Britt-Marie, SK 55 Maritana and 6mR Bissbi.

 

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