Vienna Hofburg - Imperial Apartments, Sisi Museum, Silver Collection

In this room you can see a table as it would have been laid for a dinner attended by the emperor’s immediate family during the time of Franz Joseph. Banquets only took place in the great State Rooms of the imperial residence. The table is laid according to the strict guidelines that regulated court ceremonial and which even governed dinners attended by the emperor’s immediate family. The table was always festively decked; in the middle stood gilded centrepieces decorated with flowers, fruit and sweetmeats. On silver cover plates lay elaborately folded damask napkins. Places were only laid for one course at a time. For soup and dessert porcelain plates were used, while all other courses were served on silver plates. The silver cutlery bore the imperial double eagle. Each course was accompanied by a different wine, served in a special glass. The green glasses were used for Rhenish wines. In addition, each person had his or her own wine and water carafes as well as an individual salt-cellar. In orde