Baltic amber: proceedings of the international interdisciplinary conference "Baltic amber in natural sciences, archaeology and applied arts", 13-18 September 2001, Vilnius, Palanga, Nida

ENThis volume of Acta Academiae Artium Vilnensis is the publication of the papers of the international interdisciplinary conference "Baltic Amber in Natural Sciences, Archaeology and Applied Arts" which will be held on September 13-18, 2001 in Vilnius, Palanga and Nida (Lithuania). The conference will be organised on the initiative of the Vilnius Academy of Fine Arts and Lithuanian Art Museum. The material for this volume have been sent by the scholars from ten countries - Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Slovenia, Belarus, Russia and the USA. Due to the participation of numerous research workers, who will represent a broad range of disciplines, the conference will turn out into an important forum for excanging the ideas and new information on the afore mentioned subject and will show a growing interest in amber among the academics in all the countries around the Baltic Sea. Traditions of amber collecting, production and distribution reach back as far as the Mesolithic Period and has an unterrupted history, reaching our days. All the time this tradition as an important cultural component was functioning in all the communities, the peoples and the states around the Baltic Sea. The origin of amber is related with the legends of the peoples, inhabiting in the areas around the Baltic Sea, but it also has almost the three thousand year - long literary tradition, reflecting the ages - long process of its investigations, leading from mistery to knowledge (R. Budrys' publication). Geologists, biologists are discussing the problems of formations, morphology and inclusions of amber (A. Grigelis, S. Podėnas, L. Vaičiulytė, B. Kosmowska-Ceranowicz).In all the modern states around the Baltic Sea rich amber artifacts, inclusions and the collections of amber art pieces are presented in amber museums and galleries, and they are also the field of investigation for historians of science and art (S. Ritzkowski, M. Ploug, J. Ludavičienė, A. Tautavičius and other publications in this volume). The beginning of amber ornaments production process, the variety of forms, types, regional differences, the role of amber in the burial customs, the distant amber exchange, and examining amber artifacts as an objects of art is the object of prehistoric investigations (A. Butrimas, M. Charniauski, M. Iršėnas, L. Larsson, I. Loze, S.O. Oshibkina, R. Rimantienė, J. Taffinder, I. Zagorska, M. Zimina). Amber objects of high artistic and aesthetic value which were created throughout the prehistoric period and the early ages of the Baltic life time function as a link to unite various cultures and the peoples around the Baltic Sea with the Mediterranian Civilization (V.V. Perko, B. Križ, I. Sivec, A. Bliujienė, R.V. Sidrys, E. Jovaiša). Amber was a part of Lithuanian and Latvian folk costume (B. Vaska), there existed regulations of amber collections (L. Vaičiulytė, D. Elertas), amber art objects have their conservation traditions (E. Christensson). The most beautiful Lithuanian tales and legends are linked to the sea and amber. H. Šabasavičius' publication presents the legend of amber in Lithuanian theatre, the interest in the legends on the amber by the greatest Lithuanian artist Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis.In present conference, the development of contemporary amber art in Baltic Sea region as well as possibilities of its use in modern mode of life are elucidated and discussed by art critics (L. Jablonskienė, J. Ludavičienė, Z. Kostiashova, R. Pileckaitė). The Organizing Committee express its cordial gratitude to all contributors of the Conference and wish all the participants fruitfull work, successful presentations, interesting discussions, new and useful contacts, and good impressions in Lithuania, the land of amber. [Preface, p. 5-6].

• Lithuanian amber artifacts in the middle of the first millennium and their provenance within the limits of eastern baltic region
• The balts and amber
• Die Bernsteinerzeugnisse von Šventoji
• Roman imports among the west balts: commerce or beads for the natives?
• Amber collecting regulations in coastal Lithuania until the middle of the 19th c
• Baltic amber inclusions and their investigations in Lithuania
• Stone age amber figurines from the Baltic area
• Begriff kitsch in erzeugnissen aus Bernstein (1946-1960)
• Contemporary European amber jewelry and tradition
• Bernsteinmuseum - galerie in Nida und Vilnius
• The Legend of amber in Lithuanian theatre
• Amber jewelry of Sigitas Virpilaitis: postmodern approach