Crown Treasury

The exhibition conceptually refers to the historic institution that once existed in the same place, namely the Crown Treasury—a manifest sign of the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Poland and later of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Since the fourteenth century the crown jewels and other insignia of royal power (crowns, scepters, orbs, and the sword Szczerbiec) were kept in the Treasury alongside various other precious objects and exotica, comprising together the official state treasure. The monarch also had a private treasury which held his or her personal insignia, jewels, and display vessels. The holdings of the Crown Treasury were enriched by diplomatic gifts and royal bequests, such as King Sigismund II Augustus’ enormous collection of jewels. Only the king monarch could authorize the removal of individual valuables for special occasions, such as royal coronations and other state ceremonies.

Banners and standards are among the most important symbols of the sovereignty of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, but they are also among the most fragile. Made of delicate materials, the condition of surviving banners often leaves much to be desired. The oldest preserved original one was made for the coronation of Catherine of Austria, the third wife of King Sigismund II Augustus, which took place in Krakow on July 30, 1553.

Wawel Royal Castle holds the most valuable collection of historical artifacts associated with Polish military achievements, primarily from the 16th and 17th century. Among them are extant examples from the Jagiellon and Vasa armories and an important set of arms with a documented provenance, which includes trophies from the Battle of Vienna (1683), as well as arms and armor saved by Tadeusz Czacki in 1796, after the Crown Treasury was looted by the Prussians.

King John III Sobieski has become a symbol of the military power and glory of the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. He was celebrated for his spectacular victories over the Ottoman Turks, from the Battle of Chocim (Khotyn) to the unforgettable Battle of Vienna in 1683, but he was also known to have been an excellent politician and diplomat, an architect and partner of significant international alliances. He restored the Poland’s standing in Europe and reinforced the state’s internal structures and its defenses, which had been destroyed during the Déluge,  a mid-17th century Swedish invasion of the Commonwealth.

In recognition of his authority, as well as his military and diplomatic successes, he was awarded the highest honors by the French king Louis XIV (the mantle of the Knight of the Order of the Holy Spirit) and Pope Innocent XI (the sword and the consecrated hat). They are both masterpieces of the European Baroque and the most valuable surviving mementos of one of Poland’s greatest rulers.

Among them is an eye-catching silver-gilt figure of a lion with a crown on its head, which served as a stopper for a luxurious vessel, which was not only an ornament for a collector’s cabinet, but could also, when filled with wine, serve as a toasting cup. Such costly and artistic goldsmiths’ creations, in this case from Augsburg, were particularly sought after from the late 16th through the 17th century, while their makers enjoyed well-deserved renown.