Hasla and Fossensylv
Hasla and Fossensylv are names with shared roots in silversmithing in Setesdal, Norway. Ørnulf Hasla and Grete Fossen started the business in 1982. A workshop and shop followed in Valle in 1984, with bunad silver and jewellery as important areas of work.
Two names, different product lines
The firm's history records the involvement of daughters Anne and Gunnhild in 2016 and the development of the modern Hasla Jewelry line. Grete and Ørnulf continued making bunad silver and tradition-inspired jewellery as Fossensylv. The names should therefore not imply that every object has the same designer or belongs to the same collection.
Identifying older jewellery
Compare form and dimensions with a dated catalogue or a confirmed model. Photograph the entire piece, reverse, fastening and every mark. A brooch shape shared by several workshops does not itself establish Hasla or Fossensylv manufacture. A retailer's receipt can document the place of sale without identifying who made each component.
What should be described?
Record material and surface treatment only as documented, and note missing pendants, replacement parts, solder repairs and wear to pin and clasp. Do not turn a family connection into a personal maker attribution. Assess a responsibility mark from the actual impression and relevant documentation, not simply the family name.
Browse bunad silver and brooches.
Sources
Hasla: Om oss; Hasla og Fossensylv: Verkstad; Valle kommune: Hasla.
