Estonian Museum of Applied Art & Design
Nordic style
Occupying a courtyard behind Lai 17, the Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design (Eesti Tarbekunsti ja Disainimuuseum) pays tribute to Estonia’s strong design traditions with a well-presented collection of textiles, jewellery and ceramics; highlights include the highly desirable “caveman” tea-set designed in 1937 by Adamson-Eric, with spindly human figures chasing mammoths and other beasts around the cups and saucers; and the groovy pop art-influenced furnishings of the 1960s and 70s.
The lively applied-arts scene of the Soviet period, when Estonian creatives sought a compromise between traditional Nordic models, western trends and the expectations of the Soviet state, finds expression in a display of epoch-defining home-improvement magazines like Kunst ja Kodu (“Art and Home”) and the fashion title Siluett (“Silhouette”)
Contemporary designers are showcased in a regular calendar of special exhibitions.