King’s chamber of wonders
1st floor - Room 121
Kings love to boast. So, Frederick III created a treasury that would make princes, heads of state, and ambassadors drop their jaws in awe.
For 175 years, the royal power had a treasury filled with beautiful, bizarre, and rare items from all over the world. These items showed that the world was vast and strange, and that the Danish king was so wise and powerful that he could gather it all. Tastes and preferences changed, and the Cabinet of Curiosities closed in 1825. Step into the "King's Cabinet of Curiosities", a time capsule and a hall of mirrors, where you can see a selection from Denmark's first museum.
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The King's Cabinet of Curiosities was the Wikipedia of the 17th century
The King's Cabinet was a chamber of wonders, but it was also more. Frederick III, like other Renaissance princes, wanted to gather the entire world under one roof, so that the court's guests could explore the exotic, the beautiful, and the terrifying at the end of the 17th century.
From the grim gaze of Russia's first tsar, Ivan the Terrible, to the perpetual dance of the nodding dolls. From Absalon's jewel-encrusted helmet to the little ivory castle where the biblical story unfolds across four enchanting levels. Each object opened, then and now, a door to another time, place, and way of seeing the world.
Image gallery
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Four stories, one tower
The artwork depicts scenes from the Bible's story of Jesus' birth. The miniature ivory castle dates back to the 18th century and is likely from Southern Germany. Reportedly, the figures can also rotate.
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The smaller, the better
Very few craftsmen could make these miniature castles. The material, design, and details required special skills, so therefore the art of miniatures was understandably admired and sought after in the 17th century.
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Ivory was elegance and exclusivity
Ivory carving was fashionable among princes in Europe during the 1500-1600s. And sometimes it was the princes themselves who turned cups out of ivory. It required patience and concentration, which were sensible qualities for a ruler to cultivate.
“The chamber also held tall tales - for example, an egg laid by a farmer’s wife.”
The king’s cabinet of curiosities is also ours
Step into the room where time reflects itself and take a seat on the pouf.
Let your eyes wander over the shimmering artpieces and listen to their stories in the headphones. Back to a time when the world was still new and even a king could remain full of wonder.
Open today
10:00 - 17:00
Admission ticket
