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The Green Vault
A prince begins collecting As was the case in many of Germany’s royal palaces, the pieces of decorative and fine art acquired by Prince August I – who began the collections in 1560 – closely mirrored the Renaissance ideal of a universal, encyclopedic collection. Nevertheless, through the years, the princely collections were acquired very much according to a ruler’s personal tastes, providing a glimpse into the artistic inclinations of Saxony’s rulers. Especially August III left his mark on the collection by substantially expanding it and making the vault into a museum. August III carries on the tradition When August III returned from an extended trip to Poland in 1727, he ordered a complete renovation to the wing of the palace, including his wish to make a museum within the wing to display the more than 10,000 pieces in the collection. In fact, the design of the chambers as well as their contents were organized and displayed according to the prince’s exact aesthetic stipulations, thus making it the very first museum to be considered a work of art in itself. The treasures travel Like many of Germany’s greatest museums, Dresden’s Green Vault was very much in danger during the massive bombing of the area in World War II. In 1942, all of the city’s museums were closed, their contents put in boxes and sent to storage in the Königstein fortress. After the war, they were taken to Moscow, where they remained until 1958. Amazingly, five of the eight ground floor rooms of the residence stayed intact despite the bombing — making them the only rooms in Dresden’s city center to survive the war. The Dresden Green Diamond
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Dresden’s
Green Vault, so named after the color of many of its most characteristic
treasures, is one of the only royal collections in the world to exist
in its original design. The name “Green Vault” refers to three
rooms in the ground floor of the west wing of Saxony’s former royal
residence where priceless jewels, decorative pieces, and official state
documents were housed. The largest of these rooms has a distinctive light
green tint, while the two other chambers are red and blue in color.
Perhaps
the greatest treasure on show next spring in Jackson is the one-of-a-kind
Dresden Green Diamond, the only diamond of significant size ever to be
found with a light green hue. Not only is the gem remarkable for its unique
color, it is a gem of impeccable quality The 41-carat gem is set in an
elaborate gold and silver agraffe and surrounded by white diamonds. August
II acquired the piece – of Indian origin – in 1742 at a fair
in Leipzig. The Dresden Green Diamond will be shown alongside other breathtaking
pieces including a dazzling Moor sculpture by Balthazar Permoser and Johann
Melchior Dinglinger called the Rose Diamond Garniture.
