The Malbork Castle Museum, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, has one of the most specialized amber collections in the world. The collections number nearly 2,000 exhibits. The most valuable are masterpieces of amber art created in the 17th and first half of the 18th century, mainly in Royal and Ducal Prussia. The most important of them is Christoph Maucher's casket, made in Gdańsk at the end of the 17th century. It was formerly owned by Sir TB Kitson of Yorkshire. The casket is a world-class work of art. It is distinguished by the richness of its form, the quality of the amber used, the decorative techniques used and its detailed workmanship. Some decoration elements are only a few millimeters high. The subject matter of the work is also extensive - numerous scenes refer to mythology, but also to other patterns applicable in the era. The casket undoubtedly stands out from Maucher's works made in amber - primarily by its form and type of object. Several to a dozen works attributed to this outstanding amber craftsman have survived to this day. These are mainly small objects, such as single, small sculptures a few centimeters high or figural groups that once formed larger structures.
The casket is one of the greatest amber works made in Gdańsk in the second half of the 17th century. The speech focuses on presenting new findings regarding the casket (history, iconography, construction), which were established during a research project carried out at the museum in 2021-2024.
Photographs: details of Maucher's casket from the collections of the Castle Museum in Malbork, photo: Lech J. Zdrojewski, photo property of the OKO-LICE KULTURY Foundation