Nationalmuseum’s collections include many exquisite, representative examples of Swedish and European silver from the 16th century to the present day. This unique collection has come about partly as a result of many generous donations and financial contributions received over the years. This exhibition presented some 80 gifts received by the museum in recent decades.

The objects presented in the exhibition ranged from magnificent baroque and gracious rococo pieces to modern silver from the decades around the turn of the millennium. There were tankards, bowls, jewellery, candlesticks, vases and goblets – all of them silver.

The museum has many generous donors, and we had selected a number of them to feature in the exhibition. They included dedicated collectors, art lovers who have kindly supported our work through regular or one-off donations, and artists who have wanted to share their life’s work with a wider audience. The common denominator was silver. The pieces on display were donated by Gunnar V. Philipson, Sverker Åström, the Märta Christina and Magnus Vahlquist Foundation, Anna Atterling, Kerstin Öhlin Lejonklou, the Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation, the Bengt Julin Fund, and the Ulf Gillberg–Lennart Agerberg Foundation. Many of these donors provided their gifts via the Friends of Nationalmuseum.

The donations have been highly significant for Nationalmuseum’s possibilities of acquiring older and contemporary silver pieces, as the museum receives no state funds for acquisitions, instead relying on donations and gifts from private foundations and trusts.

The exhibition presented some 80 gifts received by the museum in recent decades. It was on show in the Focus Gallery, a gallery space adjacent to the Treasury designed for smaller-scale, in-depth presentations of featured works from the collections.

The exhibition curator was Micael Ernstell, Nationalmuseum.