116 Treasury When the Grand Ducal Museum opened in 1882, this room was used for the display of designs for the stained-glass windows that had been installed in the cathedral and remodelled palace a few decades earlier. Since the removal of extensive fixtures and fittings in 1912, the room has frequently served as the venue for small exhibitions. Due to its intimate, cabinet-like character and circular floorplan, it is particularly suitable for the presentation of decorative-art objects. The Treasury is now home to a selection of outstanding works dating from the 17th and 18th century, from the museum’s wide-ranging collections of the decorative arts. Thanks to the rapid expansion of trade from the Renaissance onwards, precious materials and exotic objects from across the world arrived in Europe in ever-increasing numbers. Princes and wealthy burghers alike sought to demonstrate their sophistication by putting together collections of rare and intriguing objects – either drawn from the natural world or exquisitely made by highly specialised decorative artists. These cabinets of curiosities, also known as Kunstkammer, allowed their owners to systematise and study their highly prized objects and to present them to selected guests. Most of the treasures on display here, among them this magnificent tankard, the Dragon Cup and the Florentine cabinet, once formed part of the Ducal Collections and have been in Mecklenburg for centuries. The objects invite the viewer to marvel at their splendour; at the same time, the use of materials such as rare shells and ivory, the trade in which is now banned in many countries, asks us to take a closer look at the price of displaying such status and power. _KAM 17
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTMyNjA1