The Princessehof museum is the only ceramic museum in the Netherlands. It was established in 1917 by its founder Nanne Ottema. The museum is housed in the 18th-century city palace Mary Louise of Hesse-Kassel, Princess of Orange-Nassau, ancestor of the current king of the Netherlands. The Princessehof lies in a beautiful and easily accessible location in the historic town of Leeuwarden. The museum houses around 35,000 objects with an emphasis on Asian, European and contemporary ceramics. The museum owns the largest and most varied collection of Chinese porcelain in the Netherlands and displays a rich and multifaceted overview of Dutch Art Nouveau and Art Deco ceramics from the period 1880 to 1930. The collection has some absolute highlights such as the Chinese Imperial porcelain and a sculpture by Karel Appel. The Princessehof National Museum of Ceramics connects the worlds of East and West, and the past and present, on the basis of ceramics. It brings lovers of culture into contact with its high-quality collection, and provides broader insights through excellent contextualisation. The museum actively develops this collection, also to inspire new generations of artists. As a cultural venue in Leeuwarden, the Princessehof affirms the contemporary and international value of ceramics. Permanent Collections: Asian, European, Islamic and contemporary ceramics

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