I’ve visited finally the Türckische Cammer in Dresden. It features a really fantastic collection of Ottoman arms: most of them are pretty early and almost all of them are really beautiful ‘high-end’
arms. There are dozens of breathtaking swords and guns, and almost each of the pieces featured there is a masterpiece, so you'll definitely need a lot of time for viewing. It is a really amazing exhibition and it is worth a visit in any case!
Now to what I didn’t like there. The light is very poor, i.e. it is completely dark in the rooms, and the pieces, which are hidden deep into the glass cabinets, are quite dimly highlighted with spot lights. I understand that it is made from the conservation point of view, but for example the decoration of the blades is barely visible. Some blades from this exhibition were featured earlier in the Dresdner Armoury in the old-style exposition and were seen many times better… You’ll definitely have to take good spectacles with you (if needed) and you’ll feel the desire to use a binoculars and a flashlight as well
The usual museum writings belonging to objects are also almost non-existent, so you have to take someone really knowledgeable with you; otherwise you’ll get more questions than answers from this exposition :-) Or you may buy beforehand a full exhibition catalogue and take it with you inside (don’t forget the flashlight
)
Now to the catalogue
http://www.amazon.de/Die-T%C3%BCrcki...1660791&sr=8-1
and the book
http://www.amazon.de/Turkish-Chamber-Oriental-Splendour-Dresden/dp/3422069143/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_6
The catalogue is a magnificent hard cover volume with the descriptions (pretty well made, incl. Arabic translations) and pictures of all ca. 370 items on the exhibition. I think that it is a ‘must buy’ book for everybody interested in Ottoman arms (and art) considering its price, even if you do not understand German. The paperback book is much smaller, and first I thought I may spare on it, but the selected 50 items which are featured there are described and pictured more detailed than at the catalogue, so finally I have bought both of them
Ariel is right that in most cases the full length blades are not shown, but I believe it was made because of the superb hilts and the limited page quantity in each of the books. Remember, that the Manoucher’s attempt to put all pictures of a sword on one page was criticized quite often? The best example of pictures in arms book I know is one of the books about a Moscow Kremlin armoury where each (!) item had four (!) full pages.
I hope it was of any help – and sorry for my English