We were fortunate in seeing the Gruene Gewoelbe, or Green Gallery, a collection of jewels and costly articles unsurpassed in Europe.  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, etc., of polished jasper, agate, and lapis 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 me a hen’s egg of silver.  There was apparently nothing remarkable about it, but by unscrewing it came apart and disclosed the yolk of gold.  This again opened, and a golden chicken was seen; by touching a spring a little diamond crown came from the inside, and, the crown being again taken apart, out dropt a valuable diamond ring.  The seventh hall contains the coronation-robes of Augustus II. of Poland, and many costly specimens of carving in wood.  A cherry-stone is shown in a glass case which has one hundred and twenty-five facets, all perfectly finished, carved upon it.