Armoury, Dresden State Art Collections

The eyes of the visitors focus on the sumptuous armour for horse and rider that was made between 1563 and 1564 by the Antwerp goldsmith Eliseus Libaerts. Many remember it as the “golden suit of armour” or as the “Hercules armour”. This suit of armour is without a doubt an artistic magnum opus of the armoury. Moving on to the in the year 2010 opened Türckische Cammer (Turkish Chamber) in the Residenzschloss (Royal Palace) the visitor will be overwhelmed by the eight life-sized, hand-carved wooden horses, one of the definite highlights of the permanent exhibition. Weighing 150 kg, each of these magnificently decorated Arabian horses is unique. Right at the beginning of the tour through the exhibition the visitor is greeted by a large display case showing five of these magnificently decorated horses. As varied as the two exhibitions of this important museum are, they both have one thing in common: the fact that the visitor is overwhelmed by the large number of magnificent weapons and hardly knows where to look first. Originating from weapons owned by Saxon Dukes and Electors, the Dresden Rüstkammer (Armoury) has one of the most valuable collections of weapons and armoury in the world. It unites the masterpieces of armourers, artists and artisans from all corners of Europe and the Orient and includes around 10,000 ceremonial weapons – armour, helmets, shields, swords, rapiers and daggers, sabres and maces, pistols and rifles. The exhibition also includes riding equipment, ceremonial clothes and works of art works as well as portraits which are largely from the 16th to 18th century and come from the collection of the Wettin Elector. The Turkish fashion that was popular at the Electoral Saxon court is reflected by the exquisite collection of oriental and oriental-style weapons, clothes and riding equipment as well as in the magnificent Turkish tents. These resplendent items can be viewed in the Türckische Cammer (Turkish Chmaber) in the Residenzschloss (Royal Palace). In February 2013 the Rüstkammer (Armoury) will be reopened in the Riesensaal (Giant’s Hall) in the Residenzschloss (Royal Palace). Rüstkammer mit Türckischer Cammer (Armoury with Turkish Chamber) is part of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (Dresden State Art Collections) that are among the most prominent museums in the world. The combined holdings of the twelve museums offer the visitor a remarkable thematic diversity. These museums originated from the collections of the Saxon electors and Polish kings. They systematically developed cabinets of curiosities, which were accessible to select circles in their day and still form the core of the wonderful art treasures of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden today. The collections are situated in world famous buildings such as the Residenzschloss (Royal Palace), the Zwinger, and the Semperbau (Semper Building), which are among the most important sights in Dresden.