The Green Vault is the most magnificent treasure chamber museum in Europe Home to the Dresden Green Diamond, the Green Vault houses more than 120 precious objects, most of them dating from the Renaissance through to the late Baroque period Housed in the Residence Palace of Dresden, this storehouse of treasures displays, some of the most important works of European culture.

Detailing the contents of the "Gr�nes Gew�lbe"—or Green Vault—this catalog surveys the Treasury of the Saxonian Kings, depicting the collections of August the Strong, King of Saxony and Poland. The study illustrates how the museum was unparalleled in its time and maintains its distinction today with an extravagant profusion of precious objects in the gold, silver, enamel, and precious stones that proclaimed the wealth and artistic taste of the Saxon dynasty. Capturing a treasure trove from the early 18th century, this examination presents the vault's eight exquisitely decorated display rooms designed to inspire amazement in visitors.

Featuring more than 150 treasures from several of the world’s most prestigious collections, Making Marvels explores the vital intersection of art, technology, and political power at the courts of early modern Europe. It was there, from the sixteenth through eighteenth centuries, that a remarkable outpouring of creativity and learning gave rise to exquisite objects that were at once beautiful works of art and technological wonders. By amassing vast, glittering collections of these ingeniously crafted objects, princes flaunted their wealth and competed for mastery over the known world. More than mere status symbols, however, many of these marvels ushered in significant advancements that have had a lasting influence on astronomy, engineering, and even international politics. Incisive texts by leading scholars situate these works within the rich, complex symbolism of life at court, where science and splendor were pursued with equal vigor and together contributed to a culture of magnificence.

The famous "Historisches Grünes Gewölbe" returns to the residential palace for the first time after 60 years in September 2006. The beautifully illustrated catalogue takes the reader on a fascinating tour through this unique "Gesamtkunstwerk". The "Grünes Gewölbe" was founded in 1550 by Elector August of Saxony as the state treasury, "Geheime Verwahrung." Augustus the Strong converted it into a publicly accessible Schatzkunst museum in 1729. His idea was unrivalled: the eight display rooms with their exquisite interiors and the highly impressive mise en scène of the collection were designed to inspire amazement. The extravagant profusion of precious objects in gold, silver, enamel and precious stones, the ivories, bronzes and jewellery proclaimed the wealth and artistic taste of the Saxon dynasty. In 1942 the collection was closed and taken into storage at Königstein fortress. The museum's exterior and three of the eight rooms were severely damaged during the war. From 1974 a part of the collection could be seen again, but it was not until 2004 when the "Neues Grünes Gewölbe" was reopened with exhibits from the Renaissance to Neo-Classicism. The book introduces the masterpieces of this fascinating collection and provides an insight into the brilliant concept of the museum's founder, from which the inspiration for this presentation has been drawn.