East and West at Princessehof: porcelain that changes its appearance

An object once owned by Emperor Qianlong, ceramics from 1880–1930 and StudioZAND bring a different focus to the Leeuwarden collection.

Museum Magazine · 21 October 2026

Historic Princessehof building on Grote Kerkstraat in Leeuwarden. — Facade of Princessehof in Leeuwarden, photographed on 8 May 2016. Johan Bakker / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Johan Bakker / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Image source

A porcelain hat and perfume stand at the Princessehof National Museum of Ceramics once belonged to the Chinese emperor Qianlong. Its intricate decoration reflects an eighteenth-century fashion for making porcelain resemble other materials, such as wood or bronze. The object belongs to Van Oost en West, the permanent display on the first floor.

The display traces how ceramic forms, techniques and decoration travelled between Asia, the Middle East and Europe. Dutch Art Nouveau and Art Deco ceramics from 1880–1930 are also on view. Two routes add further perspectives: a culinary route links objects to recipes in the museum’s cookbook, while the Colonial History route examines ceramics’ role in colonisation.

Richly decorated yellow ceramic vase from the Princessehof collection. — Vase with the Thousand Treasures motif from the Princessehof collection, photographed on 10 June 2009. Keramiekmuseum Princessehof / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0. Keramiekmuseum Princessehof / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Image source

Alongside the permanent collection, Princessehof presents work by StudioZAND, winner of the 2026 Van Achterbergh Prize, through 10 January 2027. Frans Ottink and Erna Huppelschoten founded the studio in 2003. The presentation combines early, recent and collaborative work with objects the studio made for other designers.

Princessehof is at Grote Kerkstraat 9, 8911 DZ Leeuwarden. It opens Tuesday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., including Wednesday 21 October, and closes on Mondays.