Gifts to the Tzars 1500-1700

Book excerpt: From 1547, when Ivan the Terrible declared himself tsar of Russia, to 1712, when Peter the Great moved the capital to St. Petersburg, one of the highlights of Moscow court life was the formal presentation of diplomatic gifts to the tsar. These fabulous offerings have been preserved intact in the Moscow Kremlin Armory, in a collection that cannot be matched by any other royal treasury in the world. Now many of these objects are published in this gloriously illustrated volume -- the first in English on the subject -- that accompanies a major exhibition at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Ranging from arms and armor and exquisite textiles to spectacular works in gold and silver, gifts received by the tsars are masterpieces of the decorative arts -- and afford a fascinating glimpse of international relations during a period when Russia emerged as a world power.