Cataloging the Ceramic Collection of Augustus the Strong

7pm Wednesday, 13 March 2019
82 Cairnhill Road
Singapore 229684

Augustus the Strong, Prince Elector of Saxony (r 1694-1733) and later also King of Poland (r 1697-1706/1709-1733) was an avid collector of ceramics. From the late 17th century to his death in 1733, he acquired and gathered some 29,000 pieces of Chinese and Japanese porcelains, of which 8,000 are still to be found in the Zwinger Palace in Dresden. It was also in the laboratories of his palace that Europe discovered the secret of porcelain, founding the first European porcelain production centre (Meissen). Its history is a long and fascinating one, for it survived the Second World War and the notorious bombing of Dresden. Today, Augustus’ ceramic collection remains one of the most important oriental ceramic collections in the world, but until recently, it has never been completely catalogued.

Maura is one of the 28 world experts involved in cataloguing this caramic collection. The collection should be available digitally by next year. She will share with us how the project was conceived, the experts involved, the process, and some of the amazing discoveries they have made. This is a unique talk not to be missed; it is the story of one of the greatest ceramics collectors and collections in history told by a former SEACS member who has been directly involved in the project.

About Maura Rinaldi
Maura Rinaldi is an independent scholar, international lecturer and author of several publications including Kraak Porcelain, A Moment in the History of Trade; The Ceramic Cargo of the Concepcion Wrecked in 1638 and the catalogue of the SEACS exhibition Ceramics in Scholarly Taste that she also curated in 1993 to accompany the exhibition of the same name. A former Vice President of the Southeast Asian Ceramic Society for many years, Ms Rinaldi now resides in Rome, Italy.


This event is open to SEACS members only. Please RSVP by 10 March 2019 to seacs.secretary@gmail.com as space is limited. The program will begin at 7pm sharp and end at approximately 9pm. Parking is very difficult along Cairnhill Road, and members are encouraged to come by public transport or taxi. The closest MRT station is Orchard or Newton, which is only a 10-minute walk away from this event venue.

 

Inside the Zwinger Museum (Dresden)