CLOSED: Lustre – Finnish silver 1600–1830

Was Finland truly such a poor province under Swedish rule? In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, there were a total of 740 silversmithies operating in Finland, with masters and their apprentices forging everything from kitchenware to jewellery and church silver. The skilfully engraved decorations, initials and coats of arms on these luxury items illustrate their tremendous craftsmanship and bring back echoes from the Swedish Empire, reminding us of the 700 years of shared history between Finland and Sweden.

This exhibition showcases 217 pieces made by Finnish silversmiths between the 1600s and 1860s. A third of the items are from the collections of the National Museum of Finland, while two thirds have been borrowed from the collections of other Finnish museums and private collectors as well as from Nationalmuseum in Stockholm. The exhibition was adapted for Häme Castle by exhibition curators Jouni Kuurne and Arthur Aminoff.

Turku was the first city in Finland that saw the establishment of a goldsmiths’ guild, most likely as early as the mid-16th century. At the time, master smiths who worked on gold, silver and jewels were all called goldsmiths, and it wasn’t until the 20th century that those who specialised in silver came to be called silversmiths. The guilds managed the expertise and work quality of master goldsmiths by checking the silver content of the items they produced, for example. Based on these inspections, the output of Finnish silversmiths was of notably high quality. The silversmiths operating in western Finland drew inspiration from Sweden, while those in the eastern parts of the country were influenced by St. Petersburg in particular. Russian influences started to become gradually more apparent in the 19th century in the form of heavier designs and more lavish decorations, for example.  

The exhibition features the works of goldsmiths from all over Finland, including a rococo soup bowl made in 1766 in Turku by Nils Enberg that used to belong to President Urho Kekkonen, which might well be the finest piece of silverware made in Finland in the 18th century. Another notable piece on show is the gilded silver jug made in Turku by master goldsmith Axel Hansson Båga most likely in 1680, which was added to the collections of the National Museum of Finland in 2018 after a long time in private ownership.  

Coinciding with the exhibition is the publication of a book entitled Hohto – Suomalainen hopea 1600–1830-luvuilta (‘Lustre – Finnish silver 1600–1830’), which showcases the works of Finnish silversmiths with the help of expert articles and some stunning pictures. The articles of this nearly 400-page publication describe the work of gold- and silversmiths who operated in places such as Helsinki and Vyborg, where the culture surrounding gold- and silverware was markedly different compared to other Finnish cities. In addition to this, the articles illustrate the various styles reflected and the motifs used in Finnish silverware. The Finnish and Swedish publication is available for purchase from the museum shops of the National Museum of Finland and Häme Castle, among other places.

Enter Häme Castle and discover the lustre of silver!