Annual Report 2010 - Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden

Life-sized carved stallion with
ornamental trappings, part
of the Johann Michael set
16 tH e FASCI nAtIon oF tH e oRI ent –
tH e tÜ RCKISCH e CAMMeR I n tH e
ReSI DenZSCH loSS
View inside one of the showcases: oriental-style ceremonial weapons
dating from the 16th/17th century
The opening of the Türckische Cammer (Turkish Chamber)
in the Residenzschloss on 6 March, 2010 was both the
starting point and the first highlight of the anniversary
year. In a newly designed exhibition space measuring
around 750 square metres, there is now one of the world’s
most important collections of Ottoman art outside Turkey.
In the first seven months after its opening alone, over
250,000 people visited the Türckische Cammer and succumbed
to the fascination of the Orient – just like the
Saxon rulers more than 400 years ago.
the story of a passion
It is not exactly known when the first Ottoman works of
art found their way to Dresden. What is certain is that by
1591 the Rüstkammer already had a separate section
among its holdings for objects of oriental origin. From
1614 this part of the collection was referred to as the
“Türckische Cammer”. Initially, it consisted primarily of
diplomatic gifts which were later supplemented by preplanned
purchases and commissioned works. The passion
for collecting reached its climax during the reign of August
the Strong who, like several other European rulers,
had a predilection for the fashion of ‘turquerie’ and put
on splendid Turkish­style entertainments in Dresden –
Gifts and purchases associated
with Johann Georg
spiegel’s visit to Turkey in
1712 – 1714, including a tent
fragment and a saddle
including one on the occasion of the marriage of his son
Friedrich August II to the daughter of the Emperor, Maria
Josepha of Austria, in 1719.
Over the course of the centuries, the Saxon electors accumulated
one of the most important collections of Ottoman
weapons, horse bridles, costumes, tents, flags and
other works of art dating from the 16th to the 19th century.
The acquisition of new objects and the removal of
others, primarily owing to their continual use and consequent
deterioration, meant that the Türckische Cammer
experienced a great many ups and downs throughout its
history. Its absolute nadir was reached during and shortly
after the Second World War, when the turmoil resulted in
most of the collection being transported to Russia. Following
the return of the holdings, only a small number of the
oriental objects were included in the Rüstkammer’s permanent
exhibition in the Semper Building at the Zwinger
which opened in 1959. During the following decades, the
remaining objects were gradually restored and investigated
in detail. A great deal of time, effort and resources
were expended in order to create conditions such as have
never previously been enjoyed by this collection. The result
of this unique process is today’s Türckische Cammer with
its sophisticated exhibition concept devised by Curator
Holger Schuckelt and implemented by the firm of architects
Architekturbüro Peter Kulka.