Catherine the Great: An Enlightened Empress, the exhibition, is on at the National Museum of Scotland 13 July-21October 2012, its only venue. It showcases the truly spectactular collections of Catherine the Great, one of Russia's most successful rulers.
Sharp, funny, generous, iron-willed and passionate, Catherine (1729-96) was also one of the greatest art collectors of all time.
The exhibition includes: costumes and uniforms; snuffboxes inlaid with precious gems, gold and silver; ancient Greek and Roman carved cameos depicting figures from biblical stories, mythology and history; and many of the finest examples of porcelain, glass, metal, and polished stone items ever made in Russia.
The book has eight illustrated essays by experts in the fields of Russian history and art, followed by a selected catalogue of the 600+ exhibits.

Hardback
Pages: 224
Illustrations: over 200 colour/b/w photographs
ISBN: 978 1 905267 6 82
Dimensions: 244 x 188
Published by NMS Enterprises Limited - Publishing