Experience Bergen’s ’silver treasure’ at Permanenten West Norway Museum of Decorative Art.
Photo: Vestlandske Kunstindustrimuseum
’Sølvskatten - Bergens gullsmedkunst ’ (Silver treasure – Bergen’s goldsmith art) is a permanent exhibition displaying silver and gold objects made in Bergen over the course of 500 years.
For many hundreds of years, Bergen has been an important centre for the production of gold and silver objects. Bergen goldsmiths’ guild, established in 1568, has been part of an international craft tradition that has ensured the high quality of the objects.
Permanenten West Norway Museum of Decorative Art has collected gold and silver from Bergen since its foundation in 1887. It has been one of the museum’s most important fields, and the museum has an extensive collection.
A very important part of the exhibition is the collection donated by Christen Sveaas, via the ‘Bergensølvet’ foundation, to the museum – a uniquely large and rich collection of silver from Bergen, much of it from the era of guilds (approx. 1550 – 1850). This donation was the starting point for the exhibition. In addition, many of the key pieces are on loan from Bergen Museum, and private collectors have also contributed. Senior curator Trond Indahl has been the project manager for the exhibition. The architects Kristin Jarmund Arkitekter AS have designed the exhibition.