The only design museum in Sweden gives you the chance to compare 1,000-year-old Chinese artifacts with 20th-century fashion and the work of contemporary designers.
Compare styles across centuries and continents at the Röhsska Museum for Design, Fashion and Decorative Arts, the only museum of its kind in Sweden. Fashions of the 20th century sit alongside formal styles from the 1700s in the museum’s collection. In the Far East section, browse Chinese artifacts from over 1,000 years ago picked up through centuries of trade. The original craftsmanship of the ancient objects and textiles on display has been beautifully preserved by the museum.
Since its opening in 1916, the Röhsska Museum has collected more than 50,000 objects, including textiles, glass and pottery. Countless time periods and nationalities are represented in the displays. Note both the huge differences and the intriguing parallels between the objects of the various regions and eras.
Enter the museum between two Ming Dynasty lions made of marble. Explore the first floor, where you will find objects from every decade of the 20th century. Gaudy 1970s furniture lies next to 1980s T-shirts printed with political slogans. Browse the hall dedicated to local crafts, where you can see world-famous Swedish designs.
Climb the steps to the third floor for the Far East exhibit. Here, you’ll find Buddha statues, masks for Japanese theatre and fragile Chinese pottery made over 1,000 years ago.
See the whole museum in about 2 hours. Take a break from the museum at the on-site café or outside on Avenyn, Gothenburg’s main boulevard. The museum offers limited parking, so come on foot or by tram.
The museum is closed on Mondays and national holidays. Visitors under 25 get in free. Tickets for adults 25 and over are valid for unlimited visits up to a year after purchase. Temporary exhibitions sometimes have an additional fee for entry. Take a guided tour, or attend an event, film screening or workshop at the museum. Check the website for more information on timetables and prices.
