Referred to as ‘white gold’, porcelain has become a synonym of the splendour, wealth and uniqueness at royal courts, among the aristocracy and nobility. European porcelain in the 18th century not only equalled its Far Eastern prototypes, but even surpassed them, significantly changing the image of society in which freedom of imagination triumphed, as Prof. Mariusz Karpowicz put it years ago, describing the 18th-century art of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth under the rule of the kings of the Saxon Wettin dynasty. The essence of this triumph – both in the bold, theatrical arrangement and narrative layer – is referenced in the new, permanent exhibition of the Wawel Royal Castle in Cracow, entitled The Porcelain Cabinet. It presents not only the most outstanding, exquisitely crafted porcelain works from the factory in Meissen founded by King Augustus II, but also a wide spectrum of material culture of the 18th century. The collection presented in this way is the most significant one in Central Europe.

The exhibition is on view from February 6, 2024; admission as part of the ticket to the Royal Private Apartments.

More information: https://wawel.krakow.pl/en/exhibition-constant/the-porcelain-cabinet