Before the oil was found in the North Sea in the 1960s, Norway was a poor country. Some people emigrated to North America in the beginning of the 18th century seeking a better future.
Many of those who stayed in Norway were creative people living in the mountains or by the sea. Their remote locations meant they had to use what they had to make their practical and ornamental art.
This practicality has led to the evolution of a very craft-interested peoples. Maybe it is the long, dark and cold days in the winter that make the Norwegians knit, sew and try every new craft there is - miniatures included.