Gifts to the Tzars 1500-1700: Treasures from the Kremlin

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 offerings have been preserved intact in the Moscow Kremlin Armoury. Ranging from arms and armour and textiles to works in gold and silver, and created by craftsmen from Germany, Holland, England, Austria, Poland, Persia and Turkey, the objects are the main focus of the book, rather than the donors or recipients. However, the essays in this book provide a history of the 16th and 17th centuries in tsarist Russia, of Russia's international relationships during that time, and of the most important individuals of the time - the Kings of England, Poland, Sweden, the patriarchs of the church, and Ottoman sultans.