By Irina Sedunova
7 May 2021
Luminous and fragile, amber has long inspired reverence. Protected by Prussian law starting in the 13th Century, the fossilised resin was a sought-after substance for crafting royal and religious objects throughout Eastern Europe. The Amber Room, a series of panels crafted from six tonnes of amber mounted on gold-leaf walls and adorned with mosaics and mirrors, was a paean to the material’s beauty and status.
Designed for royalty in Prussia and Russia, lost to war in Germany and eventually reborn in a St Petersburg palace, the room remains a mystery as captivating as amber itself.