La cabaña de ámbar. Miguel Ángel Blanco

Exhibition by Miguel Ángel Blanco at the Museo Nacional de Artes Decorativas in Madrid devoted to amber, drawing on historical pieces from various museums and institutions on its use since Antiquity.

Miguel Ángel Blanco presents at the Museo Nacional de Artes Decorativas a project on the natural, symbolic and cultural history of amber. The route brings together historical pieces from various museums and institutions that show how this material has been prized since Antiquity for its beauty and for its medicinal, spiritual and luxury applications.

The proposal closes a trilogy by the artist on singular materials, following his monographic exhibitions devoted to lapis specularis and obsidian. The central concept is the cabin, understood as a refuge of initiation and a space for observing nature, and also as a reference to the Amber Room of Saint Petersburg, one of the great historical examples of the gem as a symbol of prestige and power in the luxury arts.

The works include archaeological grave goods, amulets, carvings and decorative arts pieces that highlight the material's versatility and its presence in the collective imagination. The exhibition also explains how this resin came to be used as a remedy, in powder or in infusion.