We were fortunate in seeing the Grune Gewolbe, or Green Gallery, a collection of jewels and costly articles, unsurpassed in Europe.  The entrance is only granted to six persons at a time, who pay a fee of two thalers.  The customary way is to employ a Lohnbedienter, who goes around from one hotel to another, till he has collected the number, when he brings them together and conducts them to the person in the palace, who has charge of the treasures.  As our visit happened to be during the Pentecost holidays, when every body in Dresden goes to the mountains, there was some difficulty in effecting this, but after two mornings spent in hunting up curious travelers, the servant finally conducted us in triumph to the palace.  The first hall into which we were ushered, contained works in bronze.  They were all small, and chosen with regard to their artistical value.  Some by John of Bologna were exceedingly fine, as was also a group in iron, cut out of a single block; perhaps the only successful attempt in this branch.  The next room contained statues, and vases covered with reliefs, in ivory.  The most remarkable work was the fall of Lucifer and his angels, containing ninety-two figures in all, carved out of a single piece of ivory sixteen inches high!  It was the work of an Italian monk, and cost him many years of hard labor.  There were two tables of mosaic-work, that would not be out of place in the fabled halls of the eastern genii, so much did they exceed my former ideas of human skill.  The tops were of jasper, and each had a border of fruit and flowers, in which every color was represented by some precious stone, all with the utmost delicacy and truth to nature!  It is impossible to conceive the splendid effect it produced.  Besides some fine pictures on gold by Raphael Mengs, there was a Madonna, the largest specimen of enamel painting in existence.

However costly the contents of these halls, they were only an introduction to those which followed.  Each one exceeded the other in splendor and costliness.  The walls were covered to the ceiling with rows of goblets, vases, &c., of polished jasper, agate and lapiz lazuli.  Splendid mosaic tables stood around, with caskets of the most exquisite silver and gold work upon them, and vessels of solid silver, some of them weighing six hundred pounds were placed at the foot of the columns.  We were shown two goblets, each prized at six thousand thalers, made of gold and precious stones; also the great pearl called the Spanish Dwarf, nearly as large as a pullet’s egg; globes and vases cut entirely out of the mountain crystal; magnificent Nuremberg watches and clocks, and a great number of figures, made ingeniously of rough pearls and diamonds.  The officer showed us a hen’s egg of silver.  There was apparently nothing remarkable about it, but by unscrewing, it came apart, and disclosed the yelk of gold.  This again opened and a golden chicken was seen; by touching a spring, a little diamond crown came from the inside,