Table lay thyself!
06-09-2024– 20-10-2024

For a long time, the epithet “Queen of Table Setting” has been attributed to Svenskt Tenn’s founder Estrid Ericson. And not surprisingly. When Svenskt Tenn celebrated its fifth anniversary, an exhibition was held called “Flower Arrangements and Table Decorations” and in 1933 Estrid Ericson made her debut as a table setting artist in the exhibition “Bord duka dig!” (Table Lay Thyself!), held here on Strandvägen. It was an exhibition that received rave reviews in the press with the words: “Every table was a poem...”

In a 1945 radio programme dedicated entirely to table setting, Estrid Ericson shared her thoughts and advice on the subject. She emphasised the importance of bringing beauty into everyday life and letting attractive things take centre stage, without going overboard. “…Our meals are so important for life’s happiness that we should make an effort to make it a pleasant event...”

The centenary year's major autumn exhibition at Svenskt Tenn is a journey through time and style, and at the same time an insight into Estrid Ericson as a person. Her table setting philosophy is reborn here through tables arranged with inspiration from settings throughout the history of Svenskt Tenn, from 1924 to 2024. Each table and object reveal its own story of creativity, elegance and timeless beauty. Throughout the exhibition you can read excerpts from the 1945 radio programme about table settings.