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In this glass case, you see a number of August the Strong’s personal effects: rings, shirt buttons, unmounted stones, a walking-stick with a rock crystal handle, a hunter’s knife, a snuffbox, a key and a rock crystal vessel in a velvet-lined case.

Let’s start with the little snuffbox. It consists of gold, silver and twenty-six diamond roses. Along with the shirt buttons, it was part of August the Strong’s golden hunting jewellery. Much of its charm comes from the alternate light and dark strips on the layered surface.

Now let’s turn to the unpolished stones. The larger one is a big sapphire in the shape of a nose, and was presented to August the Strong by Tsar Peter the Great. It’s known as The Great Raw Muscovite Sapphire. In return, August gave the Russian ruler a diamond-studded cane.

Unlike the jewellery he displayed in the royal vault, the rings you see here were actually carried about by the Elector. They were the favourite rings of August the Strong and his sons. And when they weren’t wearing them, they carried them about in a special case. 

The stag-hunter’s knife at the back of the glass-case is double-bladed at the tip. The handle is made of carnelian and is decorated with dogs’ heads.

The walking-stick with the rock crystal handle – on the extreme left – is the only surviving item of August the Strong’s silver hunting jewellery.

Finally, the key and the rock crystal goblet are from the so-called Japanese Palace on the other side of the River Elb. August the Strong bought the palace in 1717 from a Dutchman – hence its other name: The Dutch Palace. August wanted to house parts of the royal collection there, in particular his porcelain collection. The steel key to the palace displays a portrait of August the Strong.  The rock crystal ceremonial goblet served as a so-called Willkom for the palace – a vessel used to offer important guests a welcoming drink. It was stored in the leather case.