Page 15 - For the Love of Porcelain

3
View into the
Porzellansammlung’s
Oriental Gallery,
Porzellansammlung,
SKD, photo: David
Brandt

4 major step forward in terms of broadening 5
he Oriental Gallery access to Dresden’s Oriental porcelains Vase with Qianlong seal
during the 2006 (...)’, as Rose Kerr stated in her Orientations mark, porcelain painted
refurbishment, article about the show and book. During with underglaze cobalt
Porzellansammlung, the preparations for the exhibition most of blue, overglaze
SKD, photo: David the collection was in storage and therefore enamels and gold, China,
Brandt only a few of the finest objects were on 1735 - 95, h. 70 cm,
3
show. When Eva Ströber eventually left the d. 41, D. foot 26 cm,
museum in 2008 she had not only overseen Porzellansammlung
the development of an enlarged gallery SKD, inv. no. PO 5981,
space for the East Asian Royal porcelain photo: Adrian Sauer
holdings at the Zwinger (fig. 2), but also an
entirely new and unique display designed
by New York architect Peter Marino (fig.
3). The wide-scale preparations for the
comprehensive refurbishments had begun in
2004 and included a selection of more than
1,000 Chinese and Japanese objects to be
displayed in wall arrangements, pyramidal
étagères, tables and showcases, as well as a porcelain manufacture with its roots in East
new concept for the gallery texts and labels Asia, its worldwide distribution and how
(fig. 4). The richly engaging gallery allows they served as the basis for the invention
the visitor not only to view objects from of the first European porcelain in Saxony.
the perspective of their Baroque origins but The redesigning of the museum was further
also places the exquisite Meissen ware in expanded in 2009 to the second Oriental
a global context. The inclusion of a wide gallery and included some of the Meissen
variety of Oriental porcelain from the rich rooms. It should be noted here that with
collections of Augustus the Strong (1670– the new display the visitor numbers at the
1733) ultimately reflects the history of Zwinger increased significantly.

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