Gift treasury of the House of Representatives now on display in an outdoor exhibition in The Hague
11 October 2024
As of today, the path along the Hofvijver will be decorated by three large, colorful showcases that give passers-by a special insight into a unique collection of promotional gifts. The exhibition 'With Kind Regards' presents a colorful collection of gifts that have been given to the Speakers of the House of Representatives of the Staten Generaal over the years.
From a gold-plated chalice from Armenia, hand-engraved glasses from Japan to a drinks boat miniature from Thailand; there are almost 60 objects to see along the shell path. The diverse and surprising objects - in colors that contrast with the blue, yellow or purple decoration of the containers - have been selected by Studio RENS, a research and design duo from Eindhoven.
“The objects have very different shapes and sizes. By grouping them by color we have created a certain unity. In this way, gifts from all over the world are connected," says Stefanie van Keijsteren, who together with Renee Mennen forms Studio RENS and designed the exhibition.
WIth Kind Regards
The objects have been donated by foreign heads of state, ambassadors and, for example, other foreign speakers of parliament. For example, the oldest gift from the exhibition was given to chairman Frans-Jozef van Thiel in 1972; a richly decorated shield from Indonesia with an inscription referring to a visit by a Dutch delegation.
In addition to several objects from Indonesia, there are gifts from Russia, Greece, Kuwait, Chile and Togo, almost 30 different countries in total. The gifts range from traditional, artisanal objects to modern symbolic pieces, and represent the diplomatic ties between the Netherlands and the rest of the world.
Cultural value
“They are not real works of art, but objects that appeal to the imagination,” says Hasna Bajraktarevic, manager of the promotional gifts and art collection of the House of Representatives. “They are not so much of great economic value, but rather have a high cultural or craft value.”
Normally, the objects are under lock and key, collecting dust in the basement of the temporary House of Representatives building on Bezuidenhoutseweg. Bajraktarevic and colleague Tamara Venema used the exhibition as an opportunity to find out more about the objects. “For us it became a voyage of discovery into special, traditional techniques such as a colorful vase from China that appears to be made of porcelain, but it is soldered metal.”
Special Insight
The exhibition is part of BinnenhofBuiten, an initiative of The Hague & Partners that gives the public a glimpse of the treasures of this iconic political center in the Museum Quarter of The Hague during the renovation of the Binnenhof.
The outdoor exhibition 'With Kind Regards', co-curated by Mary Hessing (curator BinnenhofBuiten) opens this weekend and can be seen until Sunday, November 3. In addition to the three large glass viewing cabinets along the Hofvijver, there is a fourth, orange display case, which is located in the Binnenhof Renovation Information Center at Place 22 (free entrance).
For even more special objects, you can visit the exhibition The Disappeared Museum at the Mauritshuis with a collection of 120 unique objects from the former 'Royal Cabinet of Rareities'.