Meissen for the Czars

For the first time, an important part of the huge collection of Meissen porcelain from St. Petersburg's famed Hermitage Museum is made available to readers and porcelain enthusiasts. Covering the period from Peter the Great through the reign of Catherine the Great, this volume explores the role of porcelain as a diplomatic tool, the great royal houses of Europe, bound to one another by ties of family and friendship, frequently exchanged lavish gifts of porcelain the great Russian families ordered huge quantities of "Saxon Gold" and became among the most important buyers of Meissen porcelain. Today, their treasures are carefully preserved in the Hermitage, one of the hidden jewels of the western world.