Just like in the fairy tale of the magic table that sets itself, the exhibition TABLE, SET YOURSELF! invites us into an enchanting world. Amour-adorned plates, sugary porcelain figurines, tureens shaped like cabbage heads, silver drinking vessels as large as buckets. With cups, pitchers, bowls, pots, forks, and spoons, seven of the museum's own historical tables are displayed, set with silver, glass, and porcelain, chronologically showcasing the history of table setting from the Renaissance to Modernism and right up to the present day.
The exciting development of table setting reflects different eras' staging of the meal, from the spectacles of the Renaissance and Baroque, which were meant to display the host's wealth, to the spartan table settings of modernism.
In the Rococo, nature came to the table, with lidded dishes shaped like melons or bundles of asparagus, and meticulously decorated service and figurines in pastel colors. During the 20th century, a gradual simplification occurred, culminating in Modernism's spartan set tables, with undecorated service. The focus was on form, material, and utility.
TABLE, SET YOURSELF! is a historical journey into the world of craftsmanship and materials, from hand-forged table pieces in turned silver, over the intricately hand-decorated porcelain from Meissen, to Modernism's undecorated and industrially produced products in "cheap" materials such as steel, iron, and plastic.
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Table, Set Yourself!
Permanent
