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Amber being bright, beautiful and very soft it
was admired and easily worked by ancient man. No one knows when it was
first used by man. The oldest worked piece of Amber we know of is from
10,000 BC. This piece of Amber was carved into the shape of a horses head.
It was found in Northern Europe, near Meiendorf where a tribe of reindeer
hunters lived. Amber was usually hand carved into pendants or statues.
As people changed from hunters and gatherers to farmers they had more
time for religious ceremonies and adornment. In this period Amber was
used frequently in cult practices. Amber was much used as talisman and
jewellery.
Amber use in this period declined as metals like
bronze and gold were more highly valued. Amber was still used in religious
ceremonies and for its talismanic qualities throughout this period. It
is found in graves as carved axes, amulets and jewellery. Exporting of
Amber from the Baltic region to mostly the Mediterranean began. These
trade routes were well developed during this period. The Greeks particularly
used Amber. It is written in their mythology as tears of the Heliads.
The upper class used it for it's talismanic properties and adornment.
Between 800-500 BC, in today's Italy, Amber was very popular and it's
use flourished.
As the Roman Empire expanded into Central Europe
the Amber trade flourished. Strong trade routes to the Baltic were mapped.
The Romans bought large quantities of rough Amber and worked it extensively
to produce a large range of goods. These Amber objects were believed to
bring health, happiness and protection to it's owner/wearer.
A dark age in Amber occurred with the control
of the Amber producing region by the Teutonic Knights. They were savage
rulers. They took control of the Amber trade and disallowed any local
peoples to collect, work or trade in Amber - unless for the direct profit
of the knights. All Amber was exported.
Amber has always been a favourite stone used for adornment especially
in Europe. It has its own inner light and beauty, some believe, mystical
powers. From the 17th Century the fashion of amber bead necklaces began.
These necklaces were worn as status symbols and thus became increasingly
large. As society became materialistically richer during the 19th century
Amber was carved into differing shapes like cups and sauces, cigarette
and cigar holders etc...
Amber today is an increasingly
popular stone. Most of the world's Amber jewellery is made in Poland.
Recently there has been an increase in popularity of Amber jewellery.
This trend is due to a combination of factors. The first being that the
Polish people are incredibly skilled at working Amber and accentuating
it's beauty. They are highly skilled jewellery craftsmen. They are also
very creative people with artistic influences coming from Western and
Eastern Europe as well as Asia. In the communist era in Poland (1945-1989)
this creativity was repressed and only recently allowed to blossom again.
Lastly, some people believe Amber has mystical properties. All these factors
combine to create what we call here at Hala Francka Import Export "Wearable
Art".
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