17th up to and including the 19th century

Nowadays, we can hardly imagine our society without a cup of tea or coffee, but it is not so long since this custom was reserved only for the richest people. These new products made their appearance towards the end of the 17th century and at the beginning of the 18th century. The Dutch East India Company (VOC) in particular played a large part in their introduction. As coffee, tea and sugar were very expensive, luxury items were made for their consumption. The huge variety of coffeepots, teapots and canisters shows how great the influence of the new colonial goods was.

The presentation shows regional silver from the 17th up to and including the 19th century, with an emphasis on the craft from the 18th century.

This silver room was realized thanks to the support and input of: Bonhomme Tielens Foundation, Wagner-de Wit Foundation, P.A.E. Kerckhoffs Family (KKF Foundation), Bella and Benoit Wesly, Fotomuseum aan het Vrijthof, Elisabeth Strouven Foundation, Provincie Limburg and Gemeente Maastricht.