Skip to main content

Distributed for Museum Tusculanum Press

The Treasure Collection at Rosenborg Castle

The Inventories of 1696 and 1718

three-volume set

 
Rosenborg Castle houses one of the finest treasure collections in Europe. The castle, which was built as a summer residence in Copenhagen, Denmark, by Christian IV of Denmark-Norway in the period 1606–1634, contains, among other things, the coronation regalia, jewelry, weapons, and objects of rock crystal, hardstones, ivory, and narwhal tusk.
 
With Rosenborg’s two oldest inventories from 1696 and 1718 as the point of departure, the present work charts the making of the treasure collection and its contents and offers a unique insight into the items of the collection in words and images.
 
The Treasure Collection at Rosenborg Castle is the result of years of laborious research. The author, Jørgen Hein, combines his immense knowledge about the items and the historical facts of the treasure collection with a vivid and engrossing narrative, and with its three exclusive volumes the work offers a fascinating foray into the world of pomp and circumstance that surrounded the Danish-Norwegian kings in the period between 1500 and 1900.

846 pages | 3 volumes | © 2012

Art: European Art


Museum Tusculanum Press image

View all books from Museum Tusculanum Press

Reviews

“On the whole this impressive 850 page catalogue sets a new standard not only in documenting the wealth of the Danish-Norwegian royal collection but also by describing the kings’ international relationships by cross-referencing to comparative works elsewhere in Europe, often in collections formed by the Oldenborgs’ extended family. It presents a richly illustrated account of local and international history, artistic virtuosity and talent, and perceptive collecting, not only providing an indispensable source for the scholars and connoisseurs of fine and decorative arts, sculpture and arms and armour, but also giving an insight into early modem European aristocratic life and pastimes. It is to be hoped that this example will be followed by the custodians of related collections, particularly in Germany, and that at Rosenborg, the author of this magnum opus will publish later eighteenth-century additions, as found in the 1781 inventory, and possibly the royal collection’s Kunstkammer objects, in a similarly informative, well-illustrated and accessible manner.”

Florian Knothe | Burlington Magazine

“This large book could be described as a treasure hunt. ... [Jørgen Hein’s] monumental study, following on from the research of Mogens Bencard and his predecessors, is an extraordinarily well-documented analysis of the early modern royal values and attitudes. It is also beautifully illustrated, not only with details of the objects but with a rich range of portraits, architectural drawings, nineteenth century photographs and plans.”

Philippa Glanville | Apollo

Table of Contents

Volume I: Text
Author’s Preface and Acknowledgements
Abbreviations and Conventions
Genealogical Table of the Danish Royal Family

1. Subject, Problem, the Scandinavian Background, General Outline
2. Treasure Collection of the Kunstkammer—the European Background
3. Sources and Method
4. The Royal Inheritance: Regalia, Precious Objects and Decorative Art from the Reformation to the Death of Christian IV in 1648
5. Frederik III, the Kunstkammer, Rosenborg and the Private Collections 1648–70
6. Christian V, the Kunstkammer and Rosenborg 1670–96
7. The Regalia Chamber and the Green Cabinet 1696–1718: Frederik IV, the Spoils of War from Gottorp and the Inheritance from Dowager Queen Charlotte Amalie
8. The Institutional Collections and the New Residence 1718-1824: Rosenborg, the Kunstkammer and the First Christiansborg
9. From Royal Collections to Public Museums: The Dissolution of the Kunstkammer in the 1820s, the New Specialised Museums and the Various Roles Assigned to Rosenborg
10. Appendices 1–18: Extracts of Inventory Lists and Travel Accounts
11. Introduction to the Main Groups of the Collection
12. Bibliography
13. Summary in Danish
    Danish Names of Buildings and Places
14. Index
15. Photographic Acknowledgements

Volume II: Catalogue, Part I
A Note on the Structure of the Catalogue
Abbreviations and Conventions
The Regalia Chamber (nos. 1–198)
The Green Cabinet (nos. 199–574)

Volume III: Catalogue, Part II
A Note on the Structure of the Catalogue
Abbreviations and Conventions
The Green Cabinet (nos. 575–899)
Objects Removed from the Green Cabinet 1696–1718 (nos. 900–1009)
The Saddle Cupboard (nos. 1010–1027)

Be the first to know

Get the latest updates on new releases, special offers, and media highlights when you subscribe to our email lists!

Sign up here for updates about the Press