DRESDEN, GERMANY.- The Grünes Gewölbe (Green Vault) in Dresden has an exquisite and exceptionally diverse collection of amber art, which is one of the most important in Europe. In this special exhibition, the main works of amber art from the Green Vault will be presented for the first time in 60 years. The exhibition gives occasion for a further important part of the Green Vault collection to be academically researched and made accessible to a broad audience before being moved to its permanent new home in the Amber Cabinet of the Historic Green Vault in autumn 2006. The current exhibition will also inaugurate the special exhibition room of the New Green Vault, which is named after Louis Sponsel, Director of the Green Vault from 1908 to 1923.

The exhibits include vessels, bowls, caskets, ceremonial cutlery and statuettes produced in the amber workshops in Königsberg and Danzig between the late 16th century and the first quarter of the 18th century. It includes works by such renowned master craftsmen as Georg Schreiber, Jacob Heise, Michel Redlin and Christoph Maucher. Amber art was among the most coveted of luxury goods and thus naturally also found its way into royal art and treasure chambers. Some of the artworks of the Green Vault collection were precious acquisitions, while others were diplomatic gifts of Prussian rulers. The great amber cabinet, for example, was given as a gift to Augustus the Strong in 1728 by the King of Prussia. The cabinet cannot be displayed for conservational reasons but a detailed article about it is included in the exhibition catalogue. Many beautifully-crafted objects will be exhibited which were once kept in the drawers of this cabinet. The small amber cabinet which came to Dresden in 1742 as a gift from Friedrich II of Prussia is another jewel of the Green Vault collection included in the exhibition. Other highlights are an amber pitcher and basin set (around 1620-1630), attributed to Georg Schreiber, as well as the signed and dated ceremonial bowl (1659) by Jacob Heise from Königsberg and an amber crucifix which came to Dresden in 1662 and 1678 respectively as gifts from Friedrich Wilhelm, Electoral Prince of Brandenburg to Johann Georg II, Electoral Prince of Saxony. This is also the chance to admire the group of figures "The Three Graces" (around 1680), one of the most famous works by Christoph Maucher from Danzig.