The Porcelain collection
The museum houses the most extensive porcelain art collection in Latvia. One of the most fascinating design aspects preserved in this collection is the work produced by independent porcelain painting studios operating during the interwar period.
The museum takes pride in its collection from the porcelain painting workshop “Baltars” (1925-1931), an artistic phenomenon inscribed into the Latvian Cultural Canon. This fine art porcelain, hand painted from original design sketches by painters Romans Suta (1896-1944), Aleksandra Beļcova (1892-1981), and graphic artist Sigismunds Vidbergs (1890-1970), stands as an extraordinary achievement within the broader context of European Art Deco and Modernism. The foundational core of this collection consists of valuable exhibits acquired directly by the art museums during the 1920s. At the seminal 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris, “Baltars” artists were awarded two gold and one bronze medal. Porcelain works by Suta and Beļcova have also been exhibited at the Sèvres Ceramics Museum in Paris. Over time, the museum’s collection has systematically grown, earning international critical acclaim through exhibition in Sweden, Germany, France and elsewhere.
The “Burtnieks” porcelain painting workshop (1928-1940) was established by the Latvian press magnates Antonija un Antons Benjamiņš, with artistic direction overseen by Sigismunds Vidbergs. The workshop’s output features porcelain painted after design matrices by renowned artists Ansis Cīrulis and Erasts Šveics. Additionally, the museum preserves highly valuable artistic pieces from the short lived “Ripors” workshop (1933-1934), which operated under the guidance of Niklāvs Strunke (1894-1966).
The collection also preserves significant industrial and artistic pieces from the two leading historic manufacturing enterprises in Riga: Kuzņecov and Jessen porcelain factories. In the mid-1930s, Romans Suta joined the Kuzņecov factory as a designer, during an era where high end porcelain was manufactured based on sketches by professional artists. This industrial artistic synergy is epitomized by Jēkabs Bīne’s (1895-1955) legendary “Tauta” tableware service, for which the artist was awarded the Grand Prix at the 1937 Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne in Paris. Conversely, the legacy of the Jessen factory is characterized by contributions from Niklāvs Strunke among other artists.
Contemporary shifts within the professional discipline are demonstrated through the expressive porcelain works of the internationally acclaimed Pēteris Martinsons and his contemporaries, including Dainis Pundurs, Ilona Romule, Inese Brants, Juris Bergins, and Inese Margēviča. Notably, following their critically acclaimed solo exhibition Samsara (2020) at the museum, the artist duo Skuja Braden went on to represent Latvia at the 59th International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale in 2022. Their boundary pushing, conceptual porcelain works are proudly integrated into the museum’s collection.
