Bishop Piotr Gembicki (1585-1657) was one of the most distinguished benefactors of Wawel Cathedral in Kraków. Among the many pieces of goldwork personally presented by the bishop to the cathedral was a gold chalice dating from 1643, a gold monstrance in 1647, silver statuettes of Saints Sigismund and Ladislaus (weighing approximately 20 kg each) in 1653, silver reliquaries of Saints Venerandus and Maschalina, and a wooden reliquary lined with velvet and adorned with silver fittings before 1654.

The aforementioned monstrance was made in Bologna at the expense of the bishop, using gold from the melting down of an earlier monstrance, probably founded by Cardinal Bernard Maciejowski (1548-1608), fragments of various liturgical objects, and precious metals supplied by the founder. It was later completed in Kraków, probably with decoration on the base (primo Bononis, deinde hic Cracovia fabrefactum et elaboratum, gold, silver-plated (?), 65.5 x 19.5 cm, base diameter: 21.2 cm, after "Wawel 1000-2000 ...", Volume 1, p. 225). 

After his death, the following valuable items were bequeathed to the cathedral by the bishop's executors: a gold cross adorned with diamonds to decorate a monstrance, a set of gold figurines representing the crucified Christ, the Savior, Saint Mary, Saint John the Baptist and the Apostles, purchased in 1656 from Queen Marie Louise Gonzaga, two silver altar sets (a cross and six chandeliers), a silver basin with a jug, a silver crosier.

In accordance with the bishop's will, certain furnishings from the Episcopal Palace in Kraków were also bequeathed to the cathedral, including "a pair of Italian chairs in red velvet with gilded wood" and another "high gilt armchair adorned with statues of Saints Peter and Paul". The latter, bearing the Gembicki coat of arms in its center (Nałęcz), was a ceremonial chair from the episcopal residence, where it was likely used on various official occasions. A painted inscription runs around the back: Petrus Gembicki Dei Gratia Episcopus Cracoviensis Dux Severiensis (after "Biskupa Piotra Gembickiego dary i fundacje artystyczne dla katedry krakowskiej" by Krzysztof J. Czyżewski, p. 67, 70-74, 76, 85, 88, 92-93). Since the bishop's liturgical vestments were made of Florentine fabric and his bust was the work of the Roman sculptor Giovanni Francesco de Rossi, it is highly probable that Gembicki's portraits were also made in Italy or by Italian painters.

​Monstrance donated by Bishop Piotr Gembicki (1585-1657) to Wawel Cathedral, Bologna and Kraków, ca. 1647, Wawel Cathedral Treasury.

​Throne of Bishop Piotr Gembicki (1585-1657) with statues of Saints Peter and Paul and his coat of arms, Kraków, ca. 1642-1654, Wawel Cathedral.

The general inventory of Wilanów Palace, dated November 10, 1696, is a document preserved in the Central Archives of Historical Records in Warsaw. It lists approximately 3,500 objects: 433 paintings, jewelry valued at 1,200 thalers (only items with declared value), and 4,801 grzywnas (1,100 kg) of silver (only items with declared weight). This inventory was compiled under the supervision of Burgraves Brochocki and Cieszkowski and submitted by the silver stewards, Messrs. Dyniewicz and Hyacynt Kredencerz. The document was drawn up in Zolochiv for Prince Aleksander Benedykt Sobieski (1677-1714) by Burgrave Stanisław Cieszkowski, based on an earlier general register.

This document provide further information on some of the most prized objects in the royal collection, such as the king's bed canopy, described by the Apostolic Nuncio to Poland, Andrea Santa Croce, as a "fabric adorned with pearls and precious stones" presented to the king by the Shah of Persia. According to the inventory, the canopy was made of rich velvet "Persian fabric" with colorful and figurative designs on a gold background. However, the inventory does not mention certain rarities from the royal library, promised by the king to the Fatebenefratelli of Lviv, such as "one horn of a sea unicorn whale" (after "Kieł narwala ..." by Małgorzata Zając, p. 5).

The original Latin name of the suburban residence of the victorious King John III Sobieski (1629-1696) - Villa Nova (New Villa, now Wilanów Palace) in Warsaw - suggests that the king wished to recreate the splendor of the Villa Regia, the palace of King Ladislaus IV Vasa (1595-1648), which was looted and destroyed during the Deluge (1655-1660). The surviving objects, along with certain documents, attest to the monarch's diverse and international patronage, as well as his refined taste. In 1684, Sobieski acquired three paintings by Maria van Oosterwijck (1630-1693), a Dutch painter specializing in detailed still lifes, for the considerable sum of 2,400 florins (after "Oosterwijck, Maria van" by Noud Janssen, in: Digitaal Vrouwenlexicon van Nederland). The painting depicting flowers in a glass bowl, mentioned in the 1696 inventory, was therefore probably Maria's work ("a painting with flowers in a glass bowl, in carved gilded frame with King's monogram", the King's Dutch Cabinet, No. 89). The inventory lists numerous "Dutch paintings" (Obraz Holenderski), silverware made in Augsburg (Auszpurskiey roboty) and Paris (Paryskiey roboty), as well as many fabrics and objects made in Venice (Obicie Weneckie, materij Weneckiey, Kryształu Weneckiego). The marble busts of the king and his wife, Marie Casimire de La Grange d'Arquien (1641-1716), known as Marysieńka, were created around 1687 in Amsterdam by Bartholomeus Eggers (now in the Summer Garden in Saint Petersburg). Artus Quellinus II and his son, Thomas II, executed several statues in Antwerp in the 1680s for the decoration of Wilanów Palace (some of which are now in the Summer Garden in Saint Petersburg). Eggers or Quellinus were probably the authors of the large statue of Pallas Athena (Minerva), the goddess of wisdom, which adorned the palace's façade before August 1707 (looted by Russian troops during the Swedish invasion). 

The inventory mentions that many objects were inherited by Sobieski's sons, notably Aleksander Benedykt, who died in Rome. Queen Marie Casimire also lived in Rome and died in Blois, France. Sobieski's daughter, Teresa Kunegunda (1676-1730), married the Duke of Bavaria and died in Venice. Many objects were therefore transferred abroad shortly after 1696. Wilanów Palace was also looted during the Great Northern War (early 18th century) and World War II, while King Augustus II the Strong (1670-1733), also Elector of Saxony, transferred many objects to his collection in Dresden.

The preserved objects related to the Sobieskis, as well as similar objects from the same period, give an idea of ​​the original treasures of the family inventoried in 1696, as well as the wealth of other notable residences - the Royal Castle, the Marywil complex and the Marymont Palace in Warsaw, or the Zhovkva Castle near Lviv, Ukraine.

​Hypothetical reconstruction of the main façade of Villa Nova (Wilanów Palace) in Warsaw around 1696 with a statue of Pallas Athena (Minerva), goddess of wisdom. Virtual reconstruction, © Marcin Latka

Miniature portrait of King John III Sobieski (1629-1696) and Queen Marie Casimire de La Grange d'Arquien (1641-1716) by Sebastiano Bombelli in Venice, 1677, National Museum in Warsaw (inv. Min. 910 MNW, inscription: Sebastiano Bo[nic]elli fecit in Venezia 1677). 

​Pair of portrait miniatures of King John III Sobieski and Queen Marie Casimire by Jean Petitot in Paris, ca. 1680, Private collection.

​Allegory of King John III Sobieski with Venus, Minerva and Juno by Jan Reisner, 1680s, National Museum in Warsaw (inv. MP 160 MNW).

​Aurora - Queen Marie Casimire with her children by Jan Reisner, ca. 1684, Wilanów Palace in Warsaw. Painting on the ceiling of the Queen's Study. Painted by Reisner using Marysieńka as model of Aurora, the Roman goddess of the dawn, who announces the arrival of the sun each morning.

​Queen Marie Casimire de La Grange d'Arquien as Aurora-Astraea, fragment of Allegory of Summer, ceiling decoration in the King's Bedroom by Jerzy Siemiginowski-Eleuter, ca. 1684-1686, Wilanów Palace in Warsaw. 

​Allegorical portrait of Queen Marie Casimire d'Arquien as Gaea-Rhea, mother of the gods, with her children by Jerzy Eleuter Szymonowicz-Siemiginowski, ca. 1684, Wilanów Palace in Warsaw (inv. Wil.1950). It depicts Mary Casimire as the mother of the gods, founder of the royal Sobieski dynasty. Alongside the Queen Mother are her children: Jakub Ludwik, Aleksander Benedykt, Konstanty Władysław, Teresa Kunegunda, and Jan. 

​Silver tray with captives before King John III Sobieski and Queen Marie Casimire de La Grange d'Arquien by Albrecht Biller in Augsburg, ca. 1680-1684, Moscow Kremlin Museums.

​Silver tray with a courtly couple by Marx Wainold in Augsburg, ca. 1670-1676, Treasury of the Jasna Góra Monastery. From a set offered by John III Sobieski to the Jasna Góra Monastery in 1676.

Silver tray with a courtly couple by Markus Wolf or Johan Erhard I Heuglin in Augsburg, ca. 1670-1676, Treasury of the Jasna Góra Monastery. From a set offered by John III Sobieski to the Jasna Góra Monastery in 1676.

Silver flower vases with eagles and Bellona by Abraham II Drentwett in Augsburg, 1670s or 1685, Moscow Kremlin Museums (inv. МЗ-359). Presented by King John III Sobieski to Tsars Ivan and Peter in 1686.

Silver candlesticks or gueridons by Monogrammist BK in Wschowa, ca. 1676-1686, Moscow Kremlin Museums (inv. МЗ-192, МЗ-193). A pair presented by Ambassador Krzysztof Grzymułtowski to Tsars Ivan and Peter in 1686, most likely from the collection of John III Sobieski.

​Black oak table decorated with a mythological scene in silver, depicting Mars and Venus in a triumphal chariot surrounded by cupids, by Samuel Schneeweiss, ca. 1695, Jagiellonian University Museum (inv. 7500). According to tradition, this table belonged to King John III Sobieski. The 1696 inventory of Wilanów Palace mentions a larger ebony table, also decorated with silver, kept in the treasury of the south tower (no. 123).

Ebony cabinet of John III Sobieski with inscription JEHOVA JUSTITIA NOSTRA and JUSTIFICATI PACEM HABEMUS, decorated with ivory, mother-of-pearl and tortoiseshell, 1680s, Wilanów Palace in Warsaw, lost during World War II. Virtual reconstruction, © Marcin Latka

​Side of the ebony cabinet of John III Sobieski, decorated with the monogram IS (Ioannes Sobieski) and a relief representing the Adoration of the Magi, 1680s, Wilanów Palace in Warsaw, lost during World War II. Virtual reconstruction, © Marcin Latka

​Tortoiseshell cabinet adorned with mother-of-pearl and ivory (panoplies surmounted by crowned eagles), Poland, fourth quarter of the 17th century, Wawel Royal Castle (inv. ZKnW-PZS 1794). Most likely made for King John III Sobieski.

​Clock with astronomical indications, offered by John III Sobieski, Augsburg, ca. 1586-1591, Treasury of the Jasna Góra Monastery, astronomical table clock in the shape of a tower, bearing the inscription Villeannowa by Melchior Bommel in Nuremberg, mid-17th century, National Museum in Warsaw (inv. SZM 265 MNW) and automaton clock with spaniel by J. Stoser in Augsburg, ca. 1630, base by Pazzio, 1689, Private collection; while the clock struck the hours the dog blinked its eyes and moved its tail, created for Prince Jakub Ludwik Sobieski (inscribed on the case: PAZZIO FECIT SEREMISSIMO POLONIARU REGIO JACOBO SOBIESKIA. DN 1689).

​Gold reliquary casket adorned with rock crystal panels depicting eight scenes from the Passion of Christ by Daniel Voigt, 1654-1660 (Paris), 1660-1662 (Wrocław), Green Vault in Dresden (inv. VI 8 a). Possibly made for Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria (1614-1662), who was Prince-Bishop of Wrocław from 1655 to 1662. Later possibly owned by John III Sobieski - inventory of the Wilanów Palace from 1696 lists a very similar item under No. 17.

​Jewelry box with an eagle by workshop of Hans Jacob Mair in Augsburg, ca. 1680, Green Vault in Dresden (inv. V 595). Possibly from the collection of John III Sobieski - inventory of the Wilanów Palace from 1696 lists a very similar item under No. 78.

​Silver-gilt casket decorated with allegories of the four elements (Ceres, Thetis, Mercury, and Vulcan) by Daniel Pratsch in Augsburg, ca. 1685, Treasury of the Munich Residence (inv. 710). The casket's silver-gilt surfaces are set with precious stones (garnets, turquoise, amethyst, hyacinth, and topaz). It is very likely one of a set that includes an identical casket presented by Queen Marie Casimire to the Jasna Góra monastery in 1688, also made by Pratsch and converted into a reliquary in 1732.

Breccia casket set with coral of Queen Marie Casimire, Italy, third quarter of the 17th century, Jagiellonian University Museum.  

Pietra dura caskets, the larger decorated with bronze eagles and a sleeping Cupid, Florence, late 17th century, National Museum in Warsaw (inv. SZM 1676/1 MNW) and Wilanów Palace (inv. Wil.328). According to tradition, both belonged to Queen Marie Casimire. The inventory mentions such a "Florentine casket" under reference P.2 No.124 in the treasury located in the palace.

​Baroque pietra dura panel with a parrot on a cherry tree, Florence, 17th century, Private collection. Possibly from the collection of John III Sobieski - inventory of the Wilanów Palace from 1696 lists a very similar item under No. 208.

Jasper bowl with eagle's head, Prague and Paris, before 1680, Prado Museum in Madrid (inv. O000046). Possibly from the collection of John III Sobieski - inventory of the Wilanów Palace from 1696 lists a very similar item under No. 8.

​Decorative platter with lapis lazuli by Hans Jacob Mair, ca. 1680, Wilanów Palace in Warsaw (inv. Wil.504). Possibly from the collection of John III Sobieski - inventory of the Wilanów Palace from 1696 lists a very similar item under No. 22 (Czara kryształowa na złotym denku płaska ze Szmelcem, roznych Kolorow, kraiem iednym wyszczerbiona).

​Crystal and silver field altar set of King John III Sobieski with a cross and two candlesticks by Emanuel Linder in Augsburg, before 1684, Museum in Studzianna-Poświętne. Offered by the king to the Studzianna Monastery in 1684. 

​Filigree tankard by Johan Friedrich Straub, before 1676, Treasury of the Jasna Góra Monastery. Presented by Jean III Sobieski to the monastery in 1676.

Silver seal matrix of King John III Sobieski by F. Maier, ca. 1676-1696, National Museum in Wrocław, Sobieski's private seal with his monogram I. 3. R. P., and silver cup with cover of Queen Marie Casimire, Augsburg, before 1676, Metropolitan Museum of Art (inv. 32.100.228a, b), at top of stem, inside: MARIA CAS.D.G. REGINA POL ("Marie Casimire, by the grace of God Queen of Poland").

​Silver inkwell in the shape of a sarcophagus with Minerva, eagles, panoplies and a battle scene by Nathanael Schlaubitz (?) in Gdańsk, 1695, collection of count Zyberk-Plater in Warsaw in 1881, lost. Probably commissioned by King John III Sobieski. Virtual reconstruction, © Marcin Latka

​Ivory plaque with Rape of Proserpine by circle of Johann Ignaz Bendl, 1680s, Royal Castle in Warsaw, lost during World War II. Acquired from the collection of Julia Molcz in Warsaw, probably originating from that of John III Sobieski - according to the inventory of Wilanów Palace of 1696, a similar relief "with a black frame" appeared under No. 107 in the King's Dutch Cabinet (Obrazek Słoniowey kosci rzniety, Raptus Proserpinae, wramkach czarnych). Virtual reconstruction, © Marcin Latka

Amber medallion in a frame with bust of John III Sobieski (?), Gdańsk, 1690s, The State Hermitage Museum (inv. Э-12) and miniature ivory bust of John III Sobieski by Christoph Maucher in Gdańsk, after 1676, Bode Museum in Berlin (inv. 7808). 

​Ivory needle cases in form of Harlequins, France or Vienna, fourth quarter of the 17th century, Treasury of the Munich Residence (inv. 1112, 1113, 1114). According to inventory from 1705 the needle cases with movable heads belonged to dowry of Princess Teresa Kunegunda Sobieska.

​Staff of John III Sobieski adorned with the coat of arms of Janina, late 17th century, Green Vault in Dresden (inv. VIII 313). It was first recorded in the Dresden collections, in the Jewel Room (Juwelenzimmer), in 1733.

​Chasuble from coronation mantle of Queen Marie Casimire de La Grange d'Arquien, Spain and Poland, ca. 1676, Benedictine Monastery of the Blessed Sacrament in Warsaw. The queen offered her coronation mantel couvert de point d'Espagne, or et argent to the St. Casimir Church in Warsaw in 1688. 

​Chasuble with Immaculate Conception founded by Queen Marie Casimire de La Grange d'Arquien, Warsaw, possibly sister Maria Benedicta de Lega, ca. 1689-1696, Benedictine Monastery of the Blessed Sacrament in Warsaw. The chasuble adorned with the queen's coat of arms was commissioned for St. Casimir's Church in Warsaw.

​Chinese shoe belonging to Queen Marie Casimire de La Grange d'Arquien, Qing dynasty, fourth quarter of the 17th century, Museum of Tarnów.

​Canopy traditionally associated with the royal bed of John III Sobieski and the king's coat of arms, late 17th century, Museum of Tarnów. 

Tapestry with Judgement of Paris from the Latin Cathedral by workshop of Jan Leyniers, 1680s, Gołuchowski Palace in Lviv, lost during World War II. Seven tapestries of 6 feet height and 3,5 to 9,5 feet long were offered by Queen Marie Casimire de La Grange d'Arquien to the Latin Cathedral in Lviv. Virtual reconstruction, © Marcin Latka

Silk polonaise carpet, Isfahan workshop, first half of the 17th century, Diocesan Museum in Sandomierz. Presented by King John III Sobieski to the Sandomierz Cathedral.

​Brass reflector wall sconce with coat of arms of King John III Sobieski - Janina, Lviv, fourth quarter of the 17th century, Great Synagogue in Lviv, lost during World War II. Virtual reconstruction, © Marcin Latka

Adarga shield made from a large tortoise shell, Mauretania or Turkey, 17th century, Jasna Góra Monastery. Traditionally associated with the Battle of Vienna in 1683. Possibly from the collection of John III Sobieski - inventory of the Wilanów Palace from 1696 lists a very similar item under No. 280. 

​Portraits of Hendrick van Uylenburgh and his daughter Sara van Uylenburgh by Rembrandt, ca. 1641, Royal Castle in Warsaw (inv. ZKW/3905 and ZKW/3906). Both paintings are mentioned in the 1696 inventory of Wilanów Palace under No. 74 and No. 75 (paintings in the King's Bedroom), as a portrait of a Portuguese rabbi and a Jewish woman wearing a beret. The walls of the King's Bedroom were covered with Venetian velvet of different colours with floral patterns on a white satin background (No. 215 in the inventory).

​An old woman with a jug and A young girl with a lantern by Gerrit Dou, ca. 1660-1665, Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna (inv. GG 583 and 624). Similar paintings are mentioned in the 1696 inventory of Wilanów Palace under No. 188 (paintings from the Lower Gallery and the Library). A copy of An old woman is still in Wilanów (inv. Wil.1751). Italian velvet fabric, like the fragment with the coat of arms of Sobieski and his wife, kept at the National Museum in Kraków (inv. MNK XIII-2713/1-2). 

​The Love Letter and The Milkmaid by Johannes Vermeer, ca. 1660s, Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam (inv. SK-A-1595 and SK-A-2344). Similar paintings are mentioned in the 1696 inventory of Wilanów Palace under No. 156 and No. 180 (paintings from the Lower Gallery and the Library). Italian velvet fabric, like the fragment with the coat of arms of Sobieski and his wife, kept at the National Museum in Kraków (inv. MNK XIII-2713/1-2). 

​The Duet: singer and theorbo player by Gerard ter Borch, ca. 1670, Louvre Museum in Paris (INV 1900 ; MR 1064), and A woman standing at a harpsichord, a man seated by her by Jacob Ochtervelt, ca. 1675, National Gallery in London (inv. NG2143). Similar paintings are mentioned in the 1696 inventory of Wilanów Palace under No. 13 and No. 15 (paintings in the Queen's Bedroom). Italian velvet fabric, like the fragment with the coat of arms of Sobieski and his wife, kept at the National Museum in Kraków (inv. MNK XIII-2713/1-2). 

​Interior with a woman at the virginal by Emanuel de Witte, ca. 1665-1670, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (inv. 1894.41). Another version is in the Boijmans Van Beuningen Museum in Rotterdam (inv. 2313 (OK)). A similar painting is mentioned in the 1696 inventory of Wilanów Palace under No. 136 (King's dressing-room). 

​Mordecai and Esther write letters in King Ahasuerus' name (An important document) by Aert de Gelder, ca. 1685, Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister in Dresden (inv. Gal.-Nr. 1792 A). "Acquired from Poland" according to inventory of 1722 (compare "Catalogue of the pictures in the Royal Gallery at Dresden", published in 1912, p. 189), so it was most likely purchased during the Sobieski period.

Portrait of Prince Jakub Ludwik Sobieski (1667-1737) with the Order of the Golden Fleece by workshop of Jan Frans van Douven in Düsseldorf, ca. 1694, Prado Museum in Madrid (inv. P005149). From the portrait gallery owned by Queen Maria Anna of Neuburg (1667-1740), second wife of Charles II of Spain (1661-1700), in her summer room at the Alcázar of Madrid, some of which were sent by her sister the Empress Eleanor Magdalena of Neuburg in the early 1690s.

Further reading:

"Dzieła złotnictwa polskiego pochodzenia w skarbcu zamku królewskiego w Monachium [Goldsmiths' works of Polish origin in the treasury of the royal castle in Munich]" by Mieczysław Gębarowicz

"Inwentarz Generalny 1696 z opracowaniem" [General Inventory 1696 with comment] by Anna Kwiatkowska

"Raumbuch der Münchner Schatzkammer [Room by room inventory of the Munich Treasury]", ed. Sabine Heym

"Skarby Kremla. Dary Rzeczypospolitej Obojga Narodów [Treasures of the Kremlin. Gifts from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth]", ed. Anna Saratowicz

Discover forgotten portraits of the "compatriot kings" 

The set was commissioned by the Dowager Empress Eleonora Gonzaga (1630-1686), niece of Queen Marie Louise Gonzaga (1611-1667), around 1668. It was created in gilded silver in Augsburg by Hans Jacob Mair (ca. 1641-1719), who used gold leaf, diamonds, garnets, chrysolites, amethysts, turquoise, opal, rock crystal, agates and carnelian to decorate it. The monstrance is kept in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna (Treasury, inv. GS D 25), while the candlesticks, as well as the small monstrance, were given by the Empress to the Jasna Góra monastery in Częstochowa in 1670 on the occasion of the marriage of her daughter, Archduchess Eleonora Maria Josepha of Austria (1653-1697) with King Michael Korybut (1640-1673) (candlesticks: height 39 cm, monstrance: 61.3 x 25.5 cm, after "Świat ze srebra ...", ed. Agnieszka Fryz-Więcek, p. 58).

​Silver candlestick set with precious stones by Hans Jakob Mair, ca. 1668, Jasna Góra Treasury.

​Silver candlestick set with precious stones by Hans Jakob Mair, ca. 1668, Jasna Góra Treasury.

​Silver and crystal monstrance set with precious stones by Hans Jakob Mair, ca. 1668, Jasna Góra Treasury.