Michel Redlin

**Michel Redlin** was a German amber carver active in the Baltic port city of Gdansk (then Danzig) during the late seventeenth century. He is documented in guild records as an amber carver in 1688, with evidence of activity extending back to at least 1669, placing him among the skilled artisans of the Danzig amber workshops that supplied luxury objects to European courts and collectors.

Redlin worked in the rich tradition of Baltic amber carving, a craft that flourished in Gdansk thanks to the region’s abundant supply of fossilized resin. His attributed masterpiece is a sumptuous casket dated circa 1680, now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Crafted from wood, silk, gilt brass, and multiple varieties of amber—opaque, translucent, and milky—the piece features architectural forms and engraved landscapes and pastoral scenes visible from behind the amber panels. Its design links directly to a surviving drawing by Redlin, confirming his hand in both conception and execution.

Little is known of Redlin’s early training or personal life, yet his documented presence in the Gdansk guild underscores his professional standing within one of Europe’s most prestigious centers for amber work. The casket exemplifies the Baroque taste for *Kunstkammer* objects that combined precious materials with intricate narrative decoration.

Redlin’s legacy rests on this single, exceptionally preserved work and the drawing that authenticates it. His craftsmanship continues to illuminate the sophisticated amber industry of seventeenth-century Gdansk and the enduring appeal of these luminous, light-capturing creations in museum collections today.