Antique Necklace Made of “Butterscotch” Amber, c. 1930

For centuries, the coast of Samland has been famous for its amber. But amber can be collected there not only on the beach: far greater quantities of amber also lie buried underground. Especially near Palmnicken—now known as Jantarny—Baltic amber has been mined industrially from the so-called “blue earth” since the 19th century. These rich deposits made East Prussia the center of European amber processing and supplied the material for jewellery and art objects that were traded far beyond the region. The State Amber Manufactory in Königsberg held a special position. Founded in 1926, it brought together several major amber-processing companies from Königsberg, Danzig, and Berlin. With up to 1,500 employees at times, it was the world’s largest amber manufactory of its time. In addition to jewellery, its workshops produced boxes, everyday objects, honorary awards, and sculptural works. Production was by no means limited to traditional forms. Artists such as the sculptor Hermann Brachert, who worked as an artistic advisor for the manufactory beginning in 1930, brought new creative impetus to Königsberg’s amber craftsmanship. This necklace, dating from around 1930, exemplifies a very typical aspect of this production. The individual pieces of amber are cut into oval “olives” and carefully graded by size. Starting from the large stones in the center, they gradually become smaller toward the ends, allowing the necklace to drape softly around the neck. No additional ornamentation was used; the effect arises solely from the variation in shape, size, and colour of the amber stones. Particularly beautiful is its warm, opaque hue, which shifts between light honey, cream, and deep caramel. Such amber is often referred to in the trade today as “butterscotch.” The term is modern, but it aptly describes that milky-opaque, yellowish to caramel colour that the stone acquires only with age and which makes it particularly beautiful. With the end of World War II, production at the State Amber Manufactory in Königsberg also came to a halt. The surviving pieces serve as a reminder of an industry that uniquely combined raw material extraction, artisanal craftsmanship, and artistic excellence. A significant collection is now preserved at the German Amber Museum in Ribnitz-Damgarten.

Stima:€1,190

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