The Dream of a King: Dresden’s Green Vault

Boasting the largest collection of treasures in Europe, the Grünes Gewölbe (Green Vault) in Dresden is one of the continent’s oldest museums, founded in the early 18th century. As one of the most richly endowed treasure chambers, the museum has enjoyed a worldwide reputation ever since. It contains around 3,000 masterpieces from the collection of baroque and classical art, including the Golden Coffee Service, the Ivory Frigate, the Dresden Green Diamond, the Royal Household of the Grand Mogul and many more fascinating objects made of gold, silver, gemstones and other precious materials.

The exhibition unfolds as a captivating tour designed to enhance its dramatic impact. It commences with the Ivory Room. From there, the visitor proceeds via the Silver Room and the Silver Gilt Room to the Pretiosa Room. Precious vessels made of coloured gemstones, rock crystals, sea snails and ostrich eggs are made to appear even more impressive by being reflected in mirrors on the walls. Via the Coats of Arms Room, the tour continues to the Jewel Room, the grandiose highlight of the visit. This room, with its gilded mirror walls, contains a unique collection of prestigious 18th-century princely jewellery. The Bronze Room, with its small French bronzes, completes the tour.

The artworks are surrounded by needle-sharp reproductions of the walls of the Historic Grünes Gewölbe, giving visitors an authentic impression of the original arrangement of the works of art. Thanks to a special technical process developed specially for the Grünes Gewölbe by the Dresden architectural photographer Jörg Schöner, these large-format reproductions combine with the exhibited works to create a fascinating ensemble.