​Silver filigree basket by Hil Jakubowicz, ca. 1785-1787, National Museum in Warsaw. ​

The richly decorated 17th-century monstrance from the foundation of Bishop Stanisław Kazimierz Dąmbski (ca. 1638-1700), is used exclusively to expose the Blessed Sacrament on Good Friday and during the solemn Resurrection procession on Holy Saturday. It was created between around 1680 and 1699 by the Silesian silversmith Christian Schrötter in Kamienna Góra (height 94 cm, foot 22.4 x 26.6 cm, width of the glory 35.8 cm; municipal hallmark of Kamienna Góra: LH in an oval, goldsmith's hallmark: CS in an oval, after "Wawel 1000-2000 ...", Volume 1, p. 229-230). Made of silver and adorned with glass, it depicts Christ in the form of a consecrated host, accompanied by figures from the Old Testament (Abraham, Melchizedek) and the New Testament (the Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph and Saint Peter). It was bequeathed to Wawel Cathedral by the founder in place of the gold chalice and silver sacred lamp traditionally presented by bishops upon their inauguration.

​Monstrance of Bishop Stanisław Dąmbski by Christian Schrötter, ca. 1680-1699, Cathedral Museum at Wawel Hill in Kraków.

The monstrance, a remarkable example of 17th-century Polish goldsmithing, was commissioned by Augustyn Kordecki (1603-1673), abbot of Jasna Góra Monastery and later provincial of the Pauline Fathers, as a votive offering for the defense of the monastery during the invasion of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth by neighboring countries in 1655, known as the Deluge. It was crafted in Warsaw in 1672 by the royal goldsmith Wacław Grotko, originally from Prague (also known as Grottke or Grottkau, active in Warsaw between 1665 and 1675), who was paid 30,000 zlotys in gold.

The work was created using jewelry donated to the monastery by pilgrims. This monstrance, over one meter tall (103 cm) and weighing over 13 kg, was adorned with 2,366 diamonds, 2,208 rubies, 30 sapphires, 81 emeralds, 215 pearls, and enamel (after "Klejnoty Jasnej Góry" by Jan Samek, ‎Janusz Zbudniewek, p. 19). A large diamond set in the crown at the top was bequeathed to the monastery by Zygmunt Przerembski, Voivode of Sieradz, in 1668. The prophet Aaron and King David, kneeling on either side of the glory, hold sheaves of wheat, a Eucharistic symbol. The scenes at the base of the monstrance relate to two themes: the sacrifice of Christ (the sacrifice of Abraham and Passover) and the Eucharist (Elijah in the desert and the Last Supper).

According to the inscription on the base of the monstrance, Father Augustyn Kordecki was provincial, Father Stanisław Ligęza was abbot of the Jasna Góra monastery and Father Romuald Dymalski was sacristan of the monastery at the time of its creation.

​Monstrance of Abbot Augustyn Kordecki by Wacław Grotko, 1672, Treasury of the Jasna Góra Monastery.

Princess Maria Josepha of Saxony (1731-1767) visited the Jasna Góra monastery with her sister Maria Anna Sophia (1728-1797) on May 23, 1744. The daughters of Augustus III (1696-1763), elected monarch of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Prince-Elector of Saxony, offered two gold hearts bearing their names to the Black Madonna of Częstochowa as a votive offering. In 1747, the princess married Louis (1729-1765), Dauphin of France, and some time later, in 1756, through Duchess Jabłonowska, she sent a votive offering from Paris to Jasna Góra for the healing of her husband. This oil painting on canvas, by an anonymous French painter, probably from the workshop of Jean-Marc Nattier (1685-1766), judging by its style, is framed in a rich bronze frame, cast, chased and gilded, decorated with rocaille motifs and cartouches bearing the coat of arms of Maria Josepha (Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Kingdom of France). The inscription on the frame reveals the intentions of the Dauphine of France (Serenissima Delphina Maria / Joseph Uxor amantissima, vovebat / Pro famitate Delphini gravissime / aegrotantis, feliciter recuperata. / Anno Domini M.DCC.LIII., after "U tronu Królowej Polski ...", ed. Daniela Galas, p. 226). Both the painting and the frame were created by a French workshop.

A comparable example of craftsmanship, both in the choice of materials and in the precision of execution, is that of a late Baroque strongbox with the monogram of Dauphine's grandfather, King Augustus II (1670-1733), made in Berlin by the French goldsmith Pierre Fromery (1659-1738), as evidenced by the signature under the lid: FROMERY A BERLIN. The strongbox is made of steel, while its body is decorated with cast and then gilded brass (Czartoryski Museum, 19.2 x 20.2 x 29.5 cm, inv. MNK XIII-1400/1-2). This box was probably used to store valuable objects or private correspondence, as indicated by the concealed lock, inaccessible to anyone other than its owner.

​Votive painting of Maria Josepha of Saxony, France, ca. 1753, Treasury of the Jasna Góra Monastery.

​Strongbox with monogram of Augustus II the Strong by Pierre Fromery, 1720s, Czartoryski Museum.

The second reception staircase, the Senators' Staircase, at Wawel Castle was built between 1599 and 1602 by Giovanni Trevano and Ambrogio Meazzi di Milano in the northwest corner of the castle. It was the first modern construction of its kind in Poland, facilitating movement between the floors of the residence and located within the castle itself. Unlike the Renaissance-style Deputies' Staircase, the marble steps are not steep, but are regularly interrupted on the intermediate floors by comfortable landings. The staircase's early Baroque portals, designed by Trevano, were crafted from Carpathian sandstone by Meazzi. The summary of royal expenses drawn up in the office of the Kraków governor Franciszek Rylski (d. 1603), for the years 1599 and 1600, preserved in the Central Archives of Historical Documents in Warsaw (I 299), records expenses of 2,991 florins, 15 groszy and 12 deniers "for the demolition of the old staircase and the construction of the new one, for Italians and various materials" and the wages of "Jan Trever (Giovanni Trevano), mason ad r[ation]em fl. 1300 datum fl. 1250" and "Ambrosio Meaczi (Ambrogio Meazzi) for inlaying the stairs and doors ad r[ation]em fl. 500 fl. 300".

The overdoors (supraporte) of the north wing of the castle, leading to the Senators' Staircase, were adorned with bronze cartouches mentioned in the castle inventories of 1655, 1692, 1709/10, 1739, and 1787 as "a brass coat of arms, gilded like fire, both of the Crown and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, surmounted by a brass crown". They were probably created by a foundryman from the circle of Trevano and Meazzi. However, one of the cartouches from Wawel Castle, also considered to have come from the Łobzów Palace, is considered to have probably been made in Gdańsk (Czartoryski Museum, gold, iron and bronze, 117.2 x 98.5 cm, inv. MNK XIII-1265).

The summary also mentions the payment of a considerable sum, namely 1160 florins and 9 groszy, as an additional payment "for the balance due to the Grand Painter and Mason", as well as a payment to the Kraków painter Kasper Kurcz, who received only 50 florins. The identity of this "Grand Painter and Mason" remains unknown (after "Nieznane źródło do historii przebudowy pałacu wawelskiego za panowania Zygmunta III Wazy" by Olga Solarz, p. 455, 457-458, 460).  

​The Senators' Staircase at Wawel Castle, built between 1599 and 1602 by Giovanni Trevano and Ambrogio Meazzi.

​Bronze cartouche with the coat of arms of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, without the Vasa emblem (missing), from Wawel Castle, ca. 1604, Czartoryski Museum. 

Marble fireplace with Vasa coat of arms in the Birds' Room by Ambrogio Meazzi, ca. 1600, Wawel Castle.

After his abdication as King of Poland in 1668, John Casimir Vasa (1609-1672) went to France to settle in Paris at the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, where he became abbot. He took with him a large part of the surviving Vasa collections, which were auctioned in Paris in 1673, after his death. The sale inventory lists more than a thousand objects:
​​
(Extract)

55. A Christ carved in Saint Lucia wood, in an ebony box (Mr. Robert, griffier, 37.10 pounds).

56. Three Polish style chests with two wooden and another covered with black leather, as it is (Mr. Corade the Younger, 7 pounds).

57. A small bending seat covered with red velvet and a green velvet convenience chair, with a basin and two crystal chamber pots (Mr. Argilly, 9 pounds).

58. An altar frontal and two crédances in green velvet, trimmed with embroidery.

77. A large mirror of Venetian glass, trimmed at its edge, blackened and varnished, with its frame, gold and silver and silk (Madame Garnier, 131.10 pounds).

78. Dead Christ with Virgin made in wax, large as nature enshrined in a blackened wooden case with a large Venetian glass in front (Mr. Torque, 550 pounds).

79. A terracotta Virgin holding the infant Jesus, with two small crowns of enameled gold in a walnut box (Duke of Creguy, 20 pounds).

95. St. Peter painted on wood, original by Rubens, with its border of black wood (Mr. Corade, 40 pounds).

96. Virgin, infant Jesus and St. Elizabeth, painted on wood, with its black frame (Mr. Torque, 28 pounds).

97. St. Joseph holding the Child, with God the Father, the glory of little angels, original by Claude (?) Callot, in gold frame (Mr. Buy, 25 pounds).

98. Virgin in oval, holding a bouquet of lilies, a small Christ holding a rose, black frame with silver ornaments (Mr. de Buy, 104 pounds).

99. Head of the Virgin in oval with two hands, black frame with silver elements (Mr. Lenosquy, 25 pounds).

100. A rose with a bud and a golden sun, with a motto in golden frame (Mr. du Moulins, 55 sols).

101. Two small paintings of St. Ignatius and St. Francis Xavier, with ebony frames (Mr. Cavaro, 6 pounds).

102. Effigy of Our Lord in a velvet case (Mr. Meusnier, 4.10 pounds).

103. Virgin with St. Elizabeth and St. Joseph, copy after Nicolas Poussin, in a white frame (Mr. Morin, 33.10 pounds).

104. Christ's head with its golden frame (Mr. de Buy, 92 pounds).

105. Descent from the Cross of Our Lord, painted on wood, without frame (Mr. Vacherot, 9.10 pounds).

106. Christ's head with its golden border (Mr. Boislabbé, 6.5 pounds).

107. St. Ignatius in an interior, who heals possessed in black frame (Mr. de Recourt, 9.10 pounds).

108. St. Anne who teaches the Virgin to read, with little angels above, a crystal glass with gold frame (Mr. Mamice, 25 pounds).

109. St. Dorothy in a gilded oval.

175. Two maces, one in ivory and other one lined with ivory (Mr. Lévesque, 8 pounds).

176. A rhinoceros horn, adorned with gilded silver, with a small cup of same material with a foot trimmed with silver (Mr. Le Blond, merchant-silversmith, 86.10 pounds for the horn, Ms. Garnier, 24 pounds for the cup).

177. A large Turkish carpet, as is (Reverend Father Barré, 30 pounds).

178. A large resting chair, trimmed and covered with brocade.

217. A pair of gauntlets with two Turkish helmets.

218. A large clock that marks the hours at night, with an ebony pedestal, with silver index and gilded brass elements, three little cupids and a silver eagle (Mr. Dupin, 500 pounds).

219. A counterweight pendulum clock in a blackened wooden frame (Phillibert Paturel, 56 pounds).

220. A counterweight pendulum clock in with a small silver dial and a small decoration at the top (Mr. Macon, 56 pounds).

221. A clock striking the hours, half hours and quarter hours, in a walnut case topped with brass (Madame de Turin, 80 pounds).

222. A pendulum clock that marks the minutes, with a large pedestal box (Reverend Father Barre, 240 pounds).

223. A spring clock, striking the hours and minutes, with an ebony pedestal, a large cross of white brass at the top and a crystal skull at the foot of the crucifix (Mr. Barbier, merchant-silversmith, 304 pounds).

224. A watch clock striking the hours, half-hours, quarters and repeats, marking the minutes, with a silver dial and a frame of gilded copper, adorned with embossed silver plate and foliage (Mr. Dupin, 230 pounds).

225. A pendulum clock, as it is (Mr. Galus, 220 pounds).

226. A clock that marks hours, half hours, the fourth months and moons and moon signs, all movements of steel instead of string, with an ebony and blackened wood pedestal, adorned with several figures in gilded brass and an eagle on top of the dial, with the coat of arms of the late Queen of Poland (Marie Louise Gonzaga), enamel on copper (Mr. Dupin, 160 pounds).

227. An alarm clock striking hours, half hours and quarters, which marks the month’s quarters, the holidays, the year, pendulum decorated with several silver foliage, gilded brass pedestal and such wood with a fortune above (Mr. Le Riche, 311 pounds).

228. A brass clock striking hours, half hours and quarters, with alarm (80 pounds).

232. A clock striking hours, half hours and quarters, moon signs, days of the week, the twelve signs of the seven planets, parts inside with chains, on ebony pedestal, the case adorned with ornaments made in gilded brass with an eagle above (Madame Pachau, 205 pounds).

233. A counterweight pendulum clock in a case of blackened wood, with brass plaques around which are engraved in gilded panoplies, copper whitened dial (Mr. Hardevillers, 46 pounds).

234. A clock on an ebony pedestal, which marks the hours with two globes both sides of the dial, one silver the other gold brass, with two small compasses at the bottom and a large compass made in gilded copper above and sphere made of gilded brass behind.

357. A small painting with a lemon on a plate and a silver overturned vase, in ebony frame (Mr. Clorasse, 6.10 pounds).

358. St. Joseph with infant Jesus, trimmed frame (Mr. Corade, 6.5 pounds).

359. A miniature on vellum, with ebony frame, representing the Crucifixion of Our Lord, with several figures, original by Hreusebon (Mr. Dupin, 71 pounds).

360. A painting of a woman with small children, frame adorned with ebony, original by Mactence (Mr. Corade, 21 pounds).

361. A vertical painting with a garland of fruits and an oval in the middle, vaubours figures and landscapes and fruits of obreville, original by above-named Masters (Jan Brueghel?), in a gilded frame (Mr. Bodin, 415 pounds).

362. A painting with a perspective of the Church in Gdańsk, without frame (Mr. Corade, 40 pounds).

363. A painting with Our Lord on the cross between two thieves, copy after Rubens, painted on copper, in black frame.

389. A head of Christ painted on copper, in ebony frame (Abbot de la Tour, 11 pounds).

390. A perspective of a temple with festivities, painted on wood, in a frame of blackened wood with gilded slats (Mr. Quesnel, 40 pounds).

391. A monk's head, in a black frame (Mr. de Buy, 35 sols).

392. A half-figure of weeping Heraclitus (Mr. Mauriceau, 38.10 pounds).

393. The portrait of a monk holding a cross in his hands, painted on canvas (Mr. Corade, 110 sols).

394. A half-figure of laughing Democritus, original by Hendrik Goltzius (with 392).

395. The Conversion of Mary Magdalene with a cross, a skull, painted on canvas, without frame (Mr. Corade the Younger, 10.10 pounds).

396. Judith with the Head of Holofernes, painted on canvas, no frame.

439. A large vertical painting with St. Joachim and St. Anne who teaches the Virgin to read, with angels, painted on canvas (Mr. Duchemin, 41 pounds).

440. A picture painted on canvas, which shows a naked woman, without frame (Mr. Bruny, 16.10 pounds).

441. A Satyr who eats from a pot with a peasant, a story from Metamorphosis (Mr. De Buy, 35.10 pounds).

457. A painting of medium size, with the Virgin's Genealogy, copy after Raphael, black frame (Mr. Bonhomme, 36 pounds).

458. A painting which shows a Virgin in Glory, with adoring King at the bottom and Saint John, original, in black frame (Mr. Torque, 21 pounds).

459. A small canopy of crimson velvet, trimmed with gold and silk, without a back curtain (Mr. Ollivier, upholsterer, 151.10 pounds).

480. Twelve folded ebony chairs, trimmed at their edges with upholstery of red velvet embroidered with gold and trimmed with fringe, gold and silk, accompanied with twelve cushions, also of red velvet embroidered with gold on one side only (Madame Garnier, 250 pounds).

481. Two large parade chairs covered with crimson velvet, which wooden feets, arms and other ornaments are made of Polish silver, sewn with pearls in other places. Each of these two armchairs is equipped with a velvet, embroidered seat cushion and decorated with small gold tassels (Madame Garnier, 1703 pounds).

630. A cane mottled with gold and silver with a screwing ivory handle and lower parts in silver (Mr. François, 56 sols).

631. A Cossack style baton made in a wood from India, with a lion’s head at the end and a silver hoop (Abbot de la Mothe, 6 pounds).

632. A baton of the late King of Poland made in a wood from Brazil, set with gold at both ends (Mr. Rondet, 27.10 pounds).

646. An ebony cabinet with two doors with drawers, with an inkwell and compact with two small lids and two rings of Polish silver (Mr. Dupin, 120 pounds).

647. Another cabinet, similar to above one, with silver settings (Mr. Dupin, 38 pounds).

648. An ebony checkerboard with black and white checkers, and a game of chess.

649. Eight high-warp tapestries representing the Life of Solomon, and four other high-warp tapestries representing Saul and Solomon, 54 French ell width altogether by 3.5 French ell high, the twelve pieces constitute two hangings (Mr. Maré, 1413 pounds for seven pieces, the said Mr. Maré, 1002 pounds for five pieces).

650. A walnut cabinet of on a twisted column, topped with several drawers and small plates of gilded copper serving as an ornament; a table and two similar wooden pedestals (Mr. Gallois, 120 pounds).

651. Fifteen pieces of tapestry of red velvet and gold brocade, 36 French ell width altogether by 2.3 French ell high, and twelve pieces of crimson red velvet, embroidered with gold and topped with a fringe of gold and silk, sloping from the said tapestry containing 36 French ell (Mr. Huvin, upholsterer, 2251 pounds).

655. A large gilded carriage for six, upholstered with Venetian velvet in palmettes on aurora background and blue flowers, with glasses and set on a chassis (sold by Mr. Torque).

656. A small carriage, upholstered with Venetian velvet in palmettes on aurora background and black flowers, with three glasses and set on a chassis (sold by Mr. Torque).

657. A large mourning carriage draped in black in and out, without glasses and set on a chassis (sold by Mr. Torque).

721. Four large plates, eight small, round basin, a jug with a cover, a saltcellar and dozen plates. Made of sounding pewter (Mr. Bourgeois, 43.02 pounds).

722. A large basin with figures in relief, accompanied with a vase, made of gilded German silver, on which is represented the horse Pegasus and the figure of Mercury, 62 marks and seven ounces of weight (Mr. Gerard, merchant-silversmith).

726. A ring with a purple ruby ​​carved on eight sides with six faceted diamonds (Mr. De Buy, 1200 pounds).

727. Another ring with a long purple sapphire with six faceted diamonds (Mr. Macon, goldsmith, 600.10 pounds).

728. Ten pieces of Brussels’ tapestry representing the story of deeds of Ulysses (by Jacob Geubels), including parts sewn with gold, containing 56 French ell width by 3.5 French ell high (Mr. Dupin for Mr. Paul, agent of Charles I Louis, Elector Palatine, 12,000 pounds).

729. Four other pieces of Brussels’ tapestry representing the Deeds of Hercules and Triumph of Bacchus, sewn with gold containing 22 French ell width by 4 French ell high (Mrs. Bruneau, stored in the furniture repository of His Majesty close to the Louvre, 16001 pounds).

Inventory made in Nevers

1. A tapestry of 40 strips of Venetian brocade, with slopes and fringe in various colors (Mr. de Buy, 400 pounds).

2. Thirteen ell of tapestry of 7 pieces, 2.5 French ell high, from Venetian brocade (not sold and left in Nevers).

3. A bed of wood with a red satin mattress; a bed and pillow filled with feather and covered with red taffeta, a pavilion with lining of brocade Porte de Paris; a green silk cover, with 3 bags of leather (Madame Filogue, 220 pounds).

LL XII. Four portraits of four Princes of Neuburg (Mr. Corade, 12 pounds).

CX LL. Amazon painted on canvas (Mr. de Buy, 110 sols).

LL VI. A portrait of a Maltese Commander (perhaps Zygmunt Karol Radziwill), painted on canvas (Mr. de Buy, 6 pounds).

LI LL. A painting on canvas depicting St. Casimir, in a trimmed frame (Mr. Bodin, 51 pounds).

CX S. Another painting also painted on canvas, depicting St. Casimir (Mr. Corade, 110 sols).

LX LL. Portable chair, covered in black cloth (Mr. Bourguignon, 60 pounds).

XXX S. A portrait of a Polish Prince (Mr. Corade, 30 sols).

Source: "Vente du mobilier de Jean-Casimir en 1673 ..." by Ryszard Szmytki

​Virgin and Child with flowers by follower of Carlo Dolci, after 1642, National Gallery in London (oil on canvas, 78.1 x 63.2 cm, inv. NG934). This painting was probably number 98 in the list of the king's possessions.

Hypothetical reconstruction of the silver-ornamented clock belonging to King John Casimir Vasa (1609-1672), mid-17th century, lost. Listed under number 218 in the list of the king's possessions. © Marcin Latka

The late Baroque gilt-bronze altarpiece was presented in 1772 to King Stanislaus Augustus Poniatowski (1732-1798) by the Apostolic Nuncio to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Giuseppe Garampi (1725-1792), on behalf of Pope Clement XIV (1705-1774). Made around 1772 in Rome, it is adorned with the royal coat of arms in its lower section and a relief depicting the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist in the center. The central tondo is probably an earlier work, dating from around 1688-1689, attributed to Urbano Bertesi after a drawing by Ciro Ferri (1634-1689), or it may be based on a 17th-century model. A similar bronze relief, commissioned in 1688 by Gregorio Carafa (1615-1690), Grand Master of the Order of Saint John, is fixed to the front of the altar of the oratory of St. John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta, Malta.

The altar as a whole could very likely have been made after an earlier model by Ferri or Francesco Giardoni (1692-1757), who in 1744 produced a fairly similar anconetta, presented by Pope Benedict XIV to the Bologna Cathedral (Museo di San Pietro - Tesoro della Cattedrale). It has virtually identical dimensions to the Warsaw altarpiece (148 x 82 cm), similar proportions, and a comparable repertoire of architectural forms and ornamentation (after "Brązowy ołtarz Ciro Ferriego ..." by Anna Saratowicz-Dudyńska, Danuta Szewczyk-Prokurat Danuta and Raisa Raszkowa, p. 409-413, 416-417, 420-421, 429, 431, 436-437).

In 1777, the altar was installed in the new chapel of the Warsaw Royal Castle, known as the Saxon Chapel (now a concert hall), and remained there until 1832. At that time, all the precious furnishings were transferred to Saint Petersburg, probably at the request of Joanna Grudzińska (1791-1831), Princess of Lovich (Łowicz), morganatic wife of Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich of Russia (1779-1831), who died at Tsarskoye Selo. After the November Uprising against the Russian Empire, all the furnishings of the Warsaw Royal Castle were confiscated on the orders of Tsar Nicholas I (1796-1855), and some were destroyed, such as the ceiling paintings and the inscription on the frieze of the Knights' Hall, as well as the marble ornaments from the Marble Hall, which were reused during the conversion of the Piarist Church in Warsaw into a Russian Orthodox church.

The Poniatowski altar was installed in the Church of St. John the Baptist in Tsarskoye Selo. In 1938, the temple was closed by the Soviets and the altar was transferred to the Museum of the History of Religion in St. Petersburg, then called Leningrad (gilded bronze, 150 x 80 cm, inv. Б-8497-Ш).

​Altar of King Stanislaus Augustus with Beheading of St. John the Baptist, Rome, ca. 1772, Museum of the History of Religion in Saint Petersburg.

​​Tondo with Beheading of St. John the Baptist by Urbano Bertesi after Ciro Ferri, 1688, Oratory of the Saint John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta.

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.