Founded in 1876, the Museum of Art and Design in Oslo is one of the oldest museums in Norway as well as one of the most traditional art and designs museums in Europe and has collections ranging from clothing and textiles to furniture, silver, glass, and ceramics. In 2003, it was incorporated into the National Museum of Art.
The National Museum’s Lobmeyr collection likely arose mostly from purchases carried out around 1880 and today includes 32 exhibits of outstanding quality. They were purchased at the time they were created, which means that the collection includes many lesser-known designs from the heyday of Ludwig Lobmeyr’s work—all with very delicate shapes, technically complex manufacturing, and perfect glassmaking skill. The pieces show how the glassmakers of the time were already experimenting with techniques that would later become typical for Art Nouveau designs.

Fotocredits: ©Borre Hostland, ©Ina Wesenberg, ©Nasjonalmuseet