Germany Guide
Saxony
The Porzellansammlung
Address: Zwinger, southeast wing
Opening time: Tues– Sun 10am–6pm
Price: €6
The Porzellansammlung, housed in the Zwinger's Glockenspielpavillon, holds the world's largest hoard of porcelain. Thanks to Augustus the Strong, Dresden produced the first porcelain in Europe in 1707 before manufacture shifted to the town of Meissen a year later. Early works on display show how Meissen artists stuck faithfully to the Ming-Dynasty Chinese and Japanese role models. Things get more interesting when Baroque forms develop – look, too, for a tubby Augustus in Roman-emperor mode – in a collection that benefits from a recent revamp to display items on gilded consoles against rich silks.