As a collector of Islamic handicrafts, Max von Oppenheim found himself in the best of company in Berlin where the bankers Arthur von Gwinner (1856–1931), Emil Georg von Stauß (1877–1942), and Herbert Gutmann (1879–1942) were known for their Islamic collections and rooms in “Oriental” style. But none of these men sought to realize their passion as consequently as the trained lawyer and retired Ministerresident Oppenheim.
Oppenheim’s increasing interest in the furnishings of prominent Ottoman households extended from objects in daily use to valuable manuscripts and trouvailles. When he returned from his very first journey to Asia Minor in 1883, he brought home wall hangings, carpets, stitched textiles, and robes, which continued to fascinate him well into old age.
Splendid costumes are a particularly good example of his self-image as a collector. Nowadays such garb is subject to strict conservation and preservation measures. But Max loaned even the most beautiful items to his guests for costume balls or other special occasions. A second interest focused on everyday items and objets d’art which were manufactured in the Far East as well as Europe for export to the Near East. Clocks, porcelain, glassware, and bronzes, for examples – whether from Bohemia or China! – are of interest today for many reasons. Not only do they attest local preferences; they document as well the efforts of numerous foreign producers to exploit new markets within the Ottoman Empire