Curating Elegance with Maiolica and Porcelain at the Turn of the Twentieth Century: Wilhelmina von Hallwyl’s Collecting Practices and Visionary Museology

This article explores the collecting activities of Wilhelmina von Hallwyl (1844–1930), a Swedish countess and prominent collector of decorative arts. Her residence, Hallwyl House in central Stockholm, was built between 1893 and 1898 as a purpose-designed space for her extensive collections. By then, she had already established a significant assemblage of decorative arts, acquiring many objects through international antique dealers. From an early stage, Hallwyl House was conceived as a museum, with the objective of preserving and showcasing a diverse collection that would illuminate both contemporary society and past cultures. Transforming her home into a museum became her life’s work. The Hallwyl Catalogue Project, initiated in 1906 and completed in 1956, spans 78 volumes, meticulously documenting the collection’s acquisitions. With notable holdings in Maiolica, European porcelain, and Asian ceramics, the Hallwyl Collection remains a key reference for ceramic studies. Wilhelmina von Hallwyl was not only a leading Swedish collector but also a visionary patron committed to the study and preservation of decorative arts. Through comparative analyses and archival research, this article examines her collecting patterns, focusing on her extensive maiolica collection, recently re-evaluated by Mastrella and Williams to shed new light on her international role as a ceramic collector.