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11/1 Jurists want to stay in Oudemanhuispoort

8/2 Mayor’s portrait

8/2 Websites for social cohesion

7/2 Spreading tourism proceeds with difficulty

7/2 GroenLinks on districts: Be a man

6/2 Zuideramstel opens new office on Sabbath

5/2 The truth about integration

4/2 Wilders has little support on Amsterdam

3/2 Elite involved in neighbourhood

2/2 Johnnie Walker avoids taxes in Amsterdam

1/2 Rotterdam to tinker with district councils as well

31/1 Wooden rowing boats to disappear from Amstel

31/1 ZeeburgTV launched

27/1 Privacy activists to mess up loyalty card system

27/1 A few were still coughing, but that was an act

27/1 Chrisis in de Baarsjes

26/1 Youth have positive view of districts

24/1 Action groups call for Carmel and Jaffa boycott

24/1 PvdA members dismiss plan for districts

23/1 KLM takes on crisis with new uniform

23/1 District office not squatted

21/1 Merge districts

20/1 Closing squat bar Vrankrijk not necessary

20/1 Cleaners welcome new Schiphol director

18/1 Palestine at the Jewish Historical Museum

18/1 What is the right size for a district?

17/1 PvdA Oost against fewer districts

16/1 Committee: 7 districts by 2010

15/1 Soldiers may attend Afghanistan debate after all

15/1 Bait bike leads to arrest

14/1 Youth for Christ to republish vacancies

13/1 Paintings of the Zuidas

13/1 New Youth for Christ contoversy

11/1 Social cohesion initiative raises eyebrows

10/1 Fewer districts in 2010

10/1 Zuidas: People feel that we are losers

9/1 Fun on the ice - but not for all

9/1 Supermarket coupon fraud thwarted

9/1 I Amsterdam must remain exclusive

8/1 Use term Apartheid in every discussion

8/1 No city kiosk in Amsterdam yet

7/1 Snow

7/1 Fatima Elatik to run Zeeburg

7/1 Municipal managers to return to shop floor

4/1 Police: take photo of strange people

3/1 Gaza protest criticises politicians

1/1 Thousands to protest against attacks on Gaza

1/1 Mustapha Laboui leaves district council

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Silver in the Hermitage

28 April 2006 – In the Amsterdam Hermitage, a collection of silver objects is on display, that were originally collected by the Russian czars. Some objects are a bit boring, but others are spectacular.

The objects have been made of filigree. This is produced by making long threads out of silver – just one gram of silver suffices to make hundreds of meters of thread – which are then woven into a material that looks a bit like lace. The colour can be changed by adding other metals to the silver.

The objects were made in the 17th and 18th centuries in China, India and Batavia. Sometimes they were ordered by Europeans, who sometimes also provided the design.

The Hermitage in Saint-Petersburg has a large collection of filigree, originally collected by Peter the Great and Catherine the Great. Recently, the collection was studied and restored. It is now for the first time on display outside of Russia.

It must be said that the objects made of just filigree can be a bit boring. However, objects in which other materials have been used, such as gold and especially enamel, can be spectacular.

Examples are the fan and basket by the Chinese master Cutshing, as well as the Chinese jugs and wine cups. Unfortunately, there is no good photo of these cups in the catalogue.

At the exhibition, a central place has been accorded to two of Catherine the Great’s toilet sets. Such toilet sets, which were used both by men and women, consisted of a mirror, boxes and additional objects.

Sitting in front of the mirror, the owners would grant audience to their closest companions, while completing their morning toilet and having breakfast. The Orthodox church, which prohibited the use of mirrors, could not prevent the spread of toilet sets.

Information about the exhibition can be found here. Photos: State Museum The Hermitage, Saint Petersburg. Above: Basket, Batavia or China, first half 18th century, silver, filigree, enamel, rubies. Below: Vase with two handles in the form of dragons, China, late 17th - early 18th century, silver, filigree, enamel, gilt.