Keramiekmuseum Princessehof is ready for a PARTY! This year, they will be stepping into the world of festive dining with a grand exhibition, because partying and dining, you see, do go hand in hand. We all enjoy a great PARTY, be it a Wedding, Birthday or Divali. In short, all of us love to PARTY and food is a key ingredient of any PARTY.

Divali festival of lights

Divali is one of the 12 installations during this one-year exhibition at the Ceramics Museum in Leeuwarden. The Festival of Lights is celebrated all over the world by nearly all Hindu families. Divali is associated with many folklore stories with a Puranic significance. The most widespread belief is the worshipping of the goddess of wealth and prosperity Lakshmi. She is the consort of Lord Vishnu, the Sustainer of the Universe.

Others celebrate the returning of King Rama – who is Vishnu in human form – back to the kingdom of Ayodhya after defeating the evil King Ravana in Lanka. The whole Kingdom was elated to see that their favourite Prince was back and they welcomed him with thousands of clay lights burning.

Puja offerings

Regardless of which variation of Divali any devotee may follow their common denominator is the puja ritual. A ritual of worshipping, puja differs in its object of worship. It may be a deity or anything considered sacred, for instance natural elements like rivers. Offerings are an integral part of any puja. Offerings are combined with sacred chants, i.e. Mantras. One can merely offer some water, some fresh fruit, or flowers, or prepare some special meals called Prasad. We could easily conclude there is no fixed process of celebrating Divali, every household has their own unique ways of preparing and worshiping.

Decorating the table with ceramics

The most interesting part of the PARTY exhibition is the focus on the chosen dishes and the decoration of the dinner table. There are personal stories narrated by individuals who are celebrating one of 12 PARTIES. Stories are told about the food that they cook in order to make their day more special, about their traditions and their habits of celebrating. At each installation, ceramics will be selected to portray the meaning of a party.

The table settings will be displayed at the museum throughout the year from October 2022 until late Summer 2023.

Depot visit

Mahesvari Autar (founder DesiYUP) paid a visit to the Ceramic depot. Each piece of ceramics has been carefully curated and selected by Laura Smeets, the curator for European Ceramics. And each piece is a homage to the past, adorned with historic references and artisanship. Two very particular types of objects will be used for the Divali installation Fruits and colorful Vases. Stating the richness of the Divali celebration.

In the coming months, we will share more updates on the FEEST exhibition.

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