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The Armory and Other Collections
Rustkammer Arms and Armor Collection The Rustkammer Arms and Armor Collection of the State Art Collections Dresden comprise one of the oldest and most formidable collections of their kind in Europe. All made of high-quality precious metals, the protective gear for both riders and horses – including shields, swords, rapiers, daggers, guns, crossbows – paints an image of war as a cultural expression as well as a deciding factor between warring peoples. Many of these pieces are unique to the Dresden collections, and marked with Saxony’s royal images, harkening back to a time when Germany itself was a mere scattering of sovereign and sometimes warring principalities. Many of these weapons are as beautiful as they are deadly. Acquired beginning in 1567 by August I, Elector of Saxony who ushered in the Baroque period that flourished in Dresden, they include fine examples of weaponry and from goldsmiths of Germany, Italy, France, Spain, and the Netherlands.
Other striking pieces from the collection include a set of gilded black armor, gilded ornamental hunting knives, and a crown designed for August III, which was made in Dresden by area silversmiths and inlaid with precious and semi-precious stones.
The Sclupture Collection from the Albertinum A survey of Dresden’s Baroque collections would be incomplete without the Albertinum, a selection of Baroque and Classical sculptures that will be on show next spring in Jackson. Several of the items are by famed sculptor Dresden Balthazar Permoser, including his marble “Baby Crying” and his beloved “Chronos.” Permoser is best known in Dresden for having created the Zwinger Palace’s famous “Seven Satyrs” that peer from the columns of the Wallpavillion. Works by Francois Goudry, as well as pieces from classical antiquity will also be in the exhibition. Other collections
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The
pen may be mightier than the sword, but the items in the Rustkammer and
Armor Collection at “The Glory of Baroque Dresden” exhibition
prove that the sword can make just as lasting a statement. The exhibition’s
showcase of wartime gear runs the gamut from the practical to the utterly
decorative -- and comes from several European countries and Asia.
Among
the items from the Rustkammer Arms and Armor Collection appearing in The
Glory of Baroque Dresden exhibition is the Jewel Handled Sword (1698),
made with inlaid with a rare concoction of precious gems, metals, and
stones and topped with a golden Eagle’s head. The regal bird has
long been a symbol used by rulers in Germany, beginning with Charlemagne.
Today, it can be found on the country’s coat of arms.
Dresden’s
culture is found not only in its fine art – it hides in the pieces
from everyday life. Visitors to the museum should be sure not to miss
the furniture gallery, its collection of rare prints and drawings, its
gold and silver coins, and its royal portraits of August the Strong and
August III. They round out the exhibition, hailed as one of the must-see
art events of the year in the United States.
