Fries Museum delays major silver exhibition over security concerns

The Fries Museum in Leeuwarden has postponed the new silver exhibition, titled “De Poptaschat – Frisian silver on a global scale," by nearly two months due to security concerns, the museum reports. The museum, however, cannot share any details about the concerns, according to Omrop Fryslân.

According to the museum, it received “indications that additional security measures are necessary to ensure the safety of the exceptional and valuable objects in the exhibition.”

However, according to media reports, there is no direct link to recent art thefts in Doesburg and Assen, where silver and gold objects were stolen.

The exhibition was scheduled to begin on June 6 but has now been moved to August 1. The closing date remains May 30 next year.

The Poptaschat consists of two candlesticks, a candle snuffer, and a washstand set with a large jug, a basin, and a smaller dish. It is considered one of the crown jewels of the Fries Museum and an example of the high quality of Friesland’s 17th-century silver industry.

Since 1985, it has fallen under the Cultural Heritage Preservation Act, now the Heritage Act, which designates the Poptaschat as a treasure of national value. According to Omrop Fryslân, this protected status is one of the reasons for the heightened security surrounding its display.