ANDERSONVILLE — Andersonville's iconic "Dala horse" has returned to the neighborhood after a yearlong hiatus and a complete restoration, according to the Swedish American Museum.
A Dala horse is a carved and painted wooden horse statuette that has become a symbol of Sweden.
In Andersonville, which has roots as a small Swedish enclave, a Dala horse sat at Clark Street and Farragut Avenue from 2005 until February 2013, when it was taken to a shop that specializes in renovating colorful statues, according to the museum at 5211 N. Clark St.
The Swedish museum said Wednesday that visitors to the museum and passers-by would once again be able to see the horse in the museum's entrance.
The horse, painted by artist Lars Gillis, is blue with a yellow Scandinavian cross on its head. One side of the statuette depicts Stockholm and the other shows Chicago.
The museum said an artist would eventually produce a fiberglass replica of the Dala horse to be installed back at Farragut and Clark.
The Swedish Women's Educational Association of Chicago originally donated the horse to the museum and Andersonville community in 2005.
