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- exceedingly wide-ranging and eclectic. To a large extent, the design and shape were basically traditional patterns modified to suit the tastes of the day and seem to coincide with a parallel development in the style of jade carvings of the day. Fine quality amber pieces were carved at the Palace Workshops within the confines of the Forbidden City in the capital of Beijing as well as at the wealthy southern city of Suzhou. Amber shapes of this period include large and elaborate vessels (vases, ewers, cups and incense burners), jewellery like earrings, hairpins and necklaces, sculptures of scholars, immortals, fruits, birds and animals like elephants, tigers, lions, water buffalo as well as legendary animals like dragons, Buddhist lion dogs, and qilin; and objects for the scholar�s desk like fondle pieces and miniature mountains. These mountain carvings made out of large lumps of amber have scenes in low relief depicting scholars, immortals and animals in landscapes and scenes from Chinese legends.
Some of the quadrangular vases, which were carved, owed their archaistic shape and detail to bronzes of earlier dates. The carved human figures were often inspired by Buddhism and Daoism, including such popular deities as Guanyin (the bodhisattva of mercy), and Shou Lao (the god of longevity). Many bowls and ewers were carved with emblems of happiness, long life and other good omens. One of the more popular fruit motifs carved out of amber is the inedible citron, citvus tvcdicct. It has a number of slender finger-shaped projections, and thus, has been given the name of Buddha�s hand citron (foshou). It is reminiscent position of the hand gesture (mudra) of Buddha, which has the little finger and the index finger pointed upwards. The fruit, itself, is noted for its powerful fragrance and is also emblematic of wealth because it resembles a hand grasping money.
The Qing amber craftsmen, using the lapidary method and not edged tools, were able to do much more intricate work at greater speed than ever before and perfected their craft. Amber was a comparatively soft material and lend itself to very beautiful carving. It was so valued that the carvers would often follow the natural contours of the amber piece to waste as little as possible of the valued material.
In particular, the Palace Workshops produced a large number of snuff bottles as well as Buddhist rosaries and Mandarin necklaces.
Snuff was imported into China during the Qing dynasty and the habit of taking snuff became very popular during the course of the 18th and 19th centuries with the emperors and wealthy. A wide variety of media was used to make bottles to hold the snuff from ceramic, glass, stone and metal to organic materials like ivory, coral, mother-of-pearl and amber. Amber lent itself perfectly to very beautiful and delicate carving on the snuff bottles. The colour of the bottles could run from creamy yellow to dark red, and from translucent to cloudy or opaque. There are also inside-painted amber bottles.
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