At the King’s Table
– From dinner services to contemporary ceramics
At the King’s table, stories of national traditions, international ties, craftsmanship and industrial development unfold. Preparations begin long before the guests arrive with the setting of the table. Each piece of a dinner service, selected from a collection passed down through generations, carries its own history and significance. When the guests arrive, they are welcomed to a table prepared not only for a meal, but to a table that tells a story.At the King’s Table – from dinner services to contemporary ceramics is a presentation of dinnerware that have been added over the years, as well as other ceramic and porcelain pieces from the Royal Collections, such as serving pieces, showpieces, vases, and contemporary ceramics.
The exhibition in Queen Sonja Art Stable is divided into two sections. The Central Hall is devoted to the Palace’s porcelain and ceramic collection, whilst the Riding Hall presents contemporary ceramics by artists Torbjørn Kvasbø, Irene Nordli, Paul Scott and Marit Tingleff. The exploration of materiality, the history of the ceramic industry, and contemporary topics is central to the artists’ work. As an extension of the exhibition, Oscarshall showcases artworks by master students from the ceramics programme at the Oslo National Academy of the Arts.
(From the catalogue introduction)
Published for the exhibition
At the King’s Table
– From dinner services to contemporary ceramics
7 February–14 December 2025
in Queen Sonja Art Stable: Midtstallen
28 May–14 December
in Queen Sonja Art Stable: Ridehuset
10 May–31 August: Summer season
at Oscarshall
The design project includes a main catalogue, a smaller catalogue for the contemporary ceramics exhibition as well as promotional material and ads.
The Royal Collections
The Royal Court
© Det kongelige hoff/The Royal Court 2025
ISBN 978-82-8106-044-9
2025
20 x 25 cm
128 pages
Language: Norwegian/English
Curators of the exhibition and editors of the catalogue:
Sandra Lorentzen/Kaja Maria Ranveig Hjort
Texts by:
H.M. Queen Sonja
Dr Richard Halliday, specialist in 18th- and 19th-century British ceramics
Dr Annechen Bahr Bugge, sociologist and senior researcher at OsloMet
Dr Gunhild Vatn, professor of ceramics at KHiO
Kaja Maria Ranveig Hjort, Sandra Lorentzen and Gunhild Varvin at the Royal Collections
Extract from Pablo Neruda, “Oda al plato” (Ode to the Plate) in The Poetry of the Table, translated by Henry Notaker (Oslo: Den norske Bokklubben, 1989)
Proofreading and translation:
Kjersti Velsand/Angela Amoroso
Design: Halvor Bodin
Repro: Øivind Möller Bakken/Halvor Bodin
Printer: TS Trykk, Oslo
Bookbinder: Bokbinderiet Johnsen
Typography: Displaay Tobias
Paper: MultiArt Silk, 170 g/m2
Paper, cover: Algro Design Advanced, 350 g/m2
ISBN 978-82-8106-044-9
2025
20 x 25 cm
128 pages
Language: Norwegian/English
Curators of the exhibition and editors of the catalogue:
Sandra Lorentzen/Kaja Maria Ranveig Hjort
Texts by:
H.M. Queen Sonja
Dr Richard Halliday, specialist in 18th- and 19th-century British ceramics
Dr Annechen Bahr Bugge, sociologist and senior researcher at OsloMet
Dr Gunhild Vatn, professor of ceramics at KHiO
Kaja Maria Ranveig Hjort, Sandra Lorentzen and Gunhild Varvin at the Royal Collections
Extract from Pablo Neruda, “Oda al plato” (Ode to the Plate) in The Poetry of the Table, translated by Henry Notaker (Oslo: Den norske Bokklubben, 1989)
Proofreading and translation:
Kjersti Velsand/Angela Amoroso
Design: Halvor Bodin
Repro: Øivind Möller Bakken/Halvor Bodin
Printer: TS Trykk, Oslo
Bookbinder: Bokbinderiet Johnsen
Typography: Displaay Tobias
Paper: MultiArt Silk, 170 g/m2
Paper, cover: Algro Design Advanced, 350 g/m2
Documentation photography by Halvor Bodin