A Royal Menagerie

the long version

"The extraordinary Meissen animals made for Augustus the Strong, who ruled simultaneously as elector of Saxony and king of Poland, were perhaps the most signicant commission for porcelain ever executed in Europe. The figures, which were nearly life-size, presented enormous difficulties in making and firing, and their mere completion was a tour de force.". "Augustus the Strong (1670-1733) had long been a collector of Japanese and Chinese porcelain, and it was to house his collection that the Japanese Palace in Dresden was purchased. In 1729 Augustus enlarged the building to nearly double its original size in order to create a "porcelain palace." One gallery was to be entirely devoted to Meissen porcelain, including the exceptional animal figures that are the subject of this book and the exhibition it accompanies."--BOOK JACKET.