Please note the changed opening hours from 16 April 2024. More

The Worlds of Rococo
A new presentation of the porcelain and faience collection

Permanent exhibition
Kunstgewerbemuseum

The eighteenth century was the century of porcelain. Princes, aristocrats and the well-to-do bourgeoisie were absolutely addicted to this “white gold”. People would even speak of the maladie de porcelain. Those who couldn’t afford genuine porcelain turned to faience to decorate their dining tables, cabinets, mantel pieces and commodes.

The exhibition has various thematic focuses:

  • How did porcelain make its way from Asia to Europe?
  • To what extent are the aristocratic lifestyles of the Rococo period reflected in the art of porcelain and faience?
  • What were some of the compositional particularities of the medium, and what were the production techniques?

The fact that porcelain remains relevant to designers today is displayed through a feature on “Porcelain and 3D Printing”.

The Kunstgewerbemuseum is continually working to update the presentation of its holdings to reflect the diversity of its collection in a range of formats. The collection of eighteenth-century European porcelain and faience represent a focal point of the museum, and feature items of outstanding quality. Their new presentation within the chronological progression of the display is positioned beside the cabinet, which was installed in 2014, featuring fashion and accessories from the Rococo period, allowing visitors to draw parallels between the two displays.


A permanent exhibition of the Kunstgewerbemuseum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin.

A Musical Gathering (detail), Fulda, ca. 1770, porcelain © Kunstgewerbemuseum / Saturia Linke
© Kunstgewerbemuseum / Saturia Linke
View in to the Modegalerie
© Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Kunstgewerbemuseum / Achim Kleuker

Permanent exhibition

Bowl with branches and butterflies, China, Jingdezhen, Imperial workshops, probably early to middle Qing dynasty, 17th/18th century, porcelain with onglaze painting
© Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Kunstgewerbemuseum / Saturia Linke, Public Domain Mark 1.0

Permanent exhibition

Matthäikirchplatz
10785 Berlin

wheelchair accessible

U-Bahn: Potsdamer Platz
S-Bahn: Potsdamer Platz
Bus: Potsdamer Brücke, Potsdamer Platz Bhf / Voßstraße, Kulturforum, Philharmonie

Sun 11:00 - 18:00
Mon closed
Tue 10:00 - 18:00
Wed 10:00 - 18:00
Thu 10:00 - 18:00
Fri 10:00 - 18:00
Sat 11:00 - 18:00

Opening times on public holidays Opening Hours

Kunstgewerbemuseum Kulturforum
10,00 EUR Concessions 5,00
Kulturforum
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Kulturforum all exhibitions
20,00 EUR Concessions 10,00
all exhibitions
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Annual Ticket from 25,00 EUR

Tel 030 - 266 42 42 42 (Mon - Fri, 9 am - 4 pm)
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Related Links

Museum and the City: “Kulturgeschichte des Porzellans: Tee, Kaffee und Schokolade” on the blog of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (German only)

Museum and the City: “Tafelkultur in Krisenzeiten: Wir müssen dieses kulturelle Erbe jetzt schützen” on the blog of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (German only)

Museum and the City: “Was macht eigentlich...Claudia Kanowski, Keramik-Expertin im Kunstgewerbemuseum” on the blog of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (German only)

Museum and the City: “TULPOMANIE – Eine Blume hält die Welt in Atem” on the blog of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (German only)