Ivory and amber seemed to be central to the Royal Danish family. The family's collection spans 300 years. All of the kings from Frederik II to Frederik IV employed ivory carvers and turners. Most interestingly perhaps, the ivory turning became popular among both male and female members of the royal family. Learning ivory turning was a lesson in geometry, perspective and mechanics, and with skill, tradesman could transform ivory into beautiful objects.
Ivory is a white material that comes from elephant tusks. Years ago, it was carved and turned into many designs - everything from little boxes to special ostrich eggs, symbolizing the ostriches kept at the royal farm in Fredericksburg for some time before a fire occurred. Amber, or Nordic gold, is an orange-ish, red color and is actually fossilized tree resin. Amber is made into a variety of decorative objects and even through to today, is a valuable gemstone.
Knowing the history of ivory as a rare material often traded in places like Africa, India and along the Silk Road, I was a little surprised to see a whole room here at a castle in Copenhagen dedicated to ivory. Similarly with amber, I noticed a jewelry store called House of Amber in a few parts of Copenhagen and was surprised.
