Estonian National Museum to display nearly 1,000 silver objects

The Estonian National Museum will open an exhibition of nearly 1,000 silver objects made in Estonia from 1918 to 1944, ERR reported. The show offers the most comprehensive overview to date of the goldsmiths who worked during the period, their lives and their work.

More than 400 goldsmiths worked in Estonia between 1918 and 1944. They included independent masters with their own businesses and workshops, as well as artisans who filled orders for larger companies.

The exhibition follows several years of research, during which researchers examined thousands of archival records and objects held in different collections. The work began with a historic collection of sample maker’s marks that reached the Estonian History Museum a few years ago. Researchers have linked more than 200 marks to the goldsmiths who used them, helping identify makers who were previously unknown.

The objects include everyday items, formal gifts and awards. Silver was used for cutlery and coffee sets, cigarette cases and lighters, jewellery and writing equipment. The exhibition also features awards, anniversary gifts and decorations.

Inscriptions, monograms, dates and views of Estonian towns engraved on the objects offer a glimpse into the values, achievements and lives of people at the time, museum director Laura Kipper said. The research is also collected in an accompanying book compiled by exhibition curator Riina Reinvelt.

The exhibition, titled Silver in Estonia: Known and Unknown Goldsmiths, 1918-1944, opens on November 6 and runs until August 29, 2027, in the museum gallery.