Digital Innovation of the Year

The Royal Dresden Porcelain Collection

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The East Asian porcelain collection of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (SKD) is one of the richest in the world. Formed in the 18th century by Augustus the Strong, Elector of Saxony (1670–1733) – who also famously founded the Meissen manufactory – the collection was further enriched by his successors, in particular Frederick Augustus III (1750–1827), after which it comprised more than 29,000 objects, of which around 8,200 are extant today.

A decade ago, the SKD launched a major initiative to create a searchable online catalogue of this important collection, a project which has come to fruition this year. The new Royal Dresden Porcelain Collection platform is in the English language and includes not only the masterpieces on display in the Zwinger, but also objects in storage. The database has helpful search features such as date of manufacture, the materials involved and whether or not kilns are identified or marks present. It also features the SKD’s archival documents, including the 18th-century inventories, which have been translated into English and are connected to the objects in the collection. For each item, an image of the available purchase document and historical inventory is attached to the scholarly description, and the inventories themselves are searchable with illustrations of the extant porcelain objects. The project involved 36,000 new photographs being taken, including of the undersides; high-quality images are free to download under the Creative Commons licence.

This is an invaluable resource for academics, collectors and the general public alike, made possible by the support of many generous institutions, in particular the Bei Shan Tang Foundation in Hong Kong and the Ernst von Siemens Art Foundation. It involved 35 academics from Europe, China, Japan, Taiwan and the United States and a decade of unwavering commitment. Marion Ackermann, director general of the SKD, and Julia Weber, director of the Porzellansammlung, deserve our heartfelt congratulations for taking such a remarkable initiative and leading it to its completion.

The many-armed Daoist deity Doumu (1675–1725), maker unknown, Dehua, China. Photo: Adrian Sauer; © Porzellansammlung, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden

Charlotte Vignon is an independent curator.