Pleasures and Vices

The exhibition Pleasures and Vices in the National Museum’s Ethnographic Museum captures the phenomenon of indulgence and the joys of ordinary people living in the countryside and smaller towns in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Through everyday objects, as well as folk literature, songs, and games, it points to the surprisingly unbridled nature of folk culture in contrast to peak prudery. The exhibition explores themes directly related to bodily pleasures, such as alcohol consumption, eroticism, folk entertainment, but also their negative aspects, which often lead to pathological states such as alcoholism, gambling, and violence. On display are glass and ceramic objects referencing the exhibition's theme, painted furniture, objects associated with folk festivities and entertainment, historical photographs and pictures, matrices for making playing cards, and other interesting exhibits. At the exhibition, you can engage other senses besides sight and, for example, smell herbs or hops, listen to playful songs and stories from a pub storyteller.

We recommend children under twelve years of age visit with an adult.