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Baltic Amber at the Hermitage Collections
20 August, 2002 - December, 2002
The State Hermitage Museum for the first time shows in the Blue Bedroom
(Room No. 307) its whole collection of amber works put together since
the late 18th century and restored specially for the exhibition.
Things made from this sun-like material are known in Russia for centuries.
Objects found by archeologists in medieval Russian towns are the earliest
exhibits in the show.
The Armory Chamber of the Moscow Kremlin was first to start collecting
amber works systematically. First objects made from Baltic amber came
to St. Petersburg after the city's foundation due to interest Peter I
showed in this material. He collected them during his visits abroad. Prussian
King Friedrich Wilhelm gave Peter an amber-framed mirror, casket and the
famous Amber Room.
All amber pieces were kept at His Majesty's Cabinet. After the Emperor's
death they were transferred to the Kunstkammer whose collection included
an amber goblet made by German masters in the late 17th century and knives
and forks made by Koenigsberg masters in the early 17th century with hilts
from transparent amber resin in which can be seen insects.
Peter's successors inherited his interest in this material. The exhibition
shows a tobacco horn with a carved amber insert which was once in the
possession of Emperor Peter III. Catherine II owned exquisite amber works,
cherry amber vase, walking stick with a top made from a whole piece of
transparent amber resin, French sword with a hilt made from carved amber
and a collection of works of Koenigsberg carvers of the late 17th - early
18th centuries. Masters of the gallant age used amber for making snuff
boxes, caskets, perfume boxes, tableware handles, sword hilts, etc.
Sometimes sovereigns were carvers of amber themselves. Grand Duchess Maria
Fedorovna, wife of Paul I, gifted artist and hard material carver, made
sketches for table decorations from amber. Two of them are showed in the
exhibit.
Amber works owned by Russian Emperors after their death were transferred
to the Jewelry Gallery.
In 1885-1887 the Hermitage received the collection of the Tsarskoye Selo
Arsenal, one year later, pieces from the Golitsyn collection in Moscow.
Many things made from Baltic amber found their way from private collections
to the Hermitage after the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. They include
works from collections of Princes Yusupov and Prince Fyodor I. Paskevich
who owned chessmen made in the early 18th century in Koenigsberg and many
smoking pipes with amber mouthpieces. The Hermitage also came in possession
of a collection of smoking pipes from the Anichkov Palace. The museum
has been adding new amber pieces to its collection over the last few years.
The exhibition's curator is Larisa A. Yakovleva, Senior Researcher of
the West European Art Department, State Hermitage Museum.
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Crucifixion with Mary and John the Baptist
Germany
Larger view
Box with Portrait of Natalya Kirillovna (Mother of
Peter the Great)
Russia
Larger view
Chess-Set
Germany
Larger view
Box
Prussia
Larger view
Table Decoration
Russia
Larger view
Sword
France
Larger view
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