Pewter objects are an integral part of European cultural history and are widespread in the applied arts, yet they have largely been forgotten.
Image gallery
Prunktisch in Boulletechnik aus dem Heidelberger Schloss, Johann Daniel Sommer, Heidelberg (?) 1684
Prunktisch in Boulletechnik aus dem Heidelberger Schloss, Detail der Tischplatte, Johann Daniel Sommer, Heidelberg (?) 1684
Liturgisches Salzgefäß, Italien, 2. Hälfte 14. Jahrhundert
Zunftkanne der Zinngießer in Pressburg (Bratislava), Christoph Böhmer, Pressburg (Bratislava) 1658/59
The Museum of Decorative Arts in Berlin is presenting a special exhibition at its branch in Köpenick Palace, tracing the use of pewter from the Middle Ages to Art Nouveau.
Using approximately 100 works of art, the exhibition illustrates not only the development from sacred object to everyday item, but also the complex use of the material in furniture making.
The exhibition title refers to the cabinetmaker Johann Daniel Sommer, who worked in Künzelsau, Württemberg, at the end of the 17th century. In his furniture, tortoiseshell, horn, and pewter combine to create a decorative style that shows similarities to painting and goldsmithing.
A special exhibition of the Museum of Decorative Arts – National Museums in Berlin
