The GRASSI Museum of Applied Arts Leipzig unites centuries of artistic design - a museum that brings design history and arts and crafts from all over the world to life.
With its internationally outstanding collection, the GRASSI Museum of Applied Arts is one of the leading museums of its kind. The collection comprises around 270,000 objects of arts and crafts from antiquity to the present day and provides a unique insight into the development of forms, materials and styles over the centuries.
From the very beginning, the museum has been oriented towards an extraordinary breadth: all material areas and epochs of European and Asian applied art are represented, supplemented by important pieces from other regions of the world. The spectrum ranges from ceramics, porcelain, glass and textiles to gold and silver works, sculptures made of wood and stone, furniture, coins, medals and artistically designed everyday objects.
Room view of the exhibition "BESESSEN" © Grassi Museum of Applied Arts Leipzig
Particularly noteworthy is the extensive textile collection, which ranges from early Coptic fabrics to Bauhaus fabrics and contemporary design. Art Nouveau, Art Deco and Functionalism are the focal points of the entire collection, while 20th century arts and crafts and design are further central accents. The museum's graphic holdings are also remarkable: ornamental engravings, pattern books, design drawings, historical book art and early photographs form their own special collections.
However, the GRASSI Museum is not only a place of preservation, but also a place of encounter and inspiration. Through special exhibitions, themed presentations and exchanges with contemporary designers, the museum builds bridges between past and present - and makes it clear how closely arts and crafts, design and everyday culture are interwoven. A visit to the GRASSI Museum of Applied Arts is therefore a journey of discovery through the diversity of artistic forms of expression and at the same time a lively dialog with the history of design.
