UpDate - Vol. 13, No. 23, Page 7
March 10, 1994
Amber on display in gallery March 11 through April 15

     Selections from a 116-piece amber collection, donated to the
University of Delaware by Sarah Jastak-Burgess and Leslie M. Burgess last
year, will be displayed March 11 through April 15 at the University
Gallery's West Gallery in Old College.
     Amber is fossilized tree resin that dripped out of huge trees during
the Oligocene Epoch 50 to 60 million years ago. Through the ages, amber has
been hardened and compressed into a semiprecious stone, as we know it
today. The Jastak-Burgess collection-one of the largest in the
world-includes amber used and displayed in many ways.
     Some of the pieces of amber used in the jewelry selections of the
collection have insects or plant specimens trapped inside-just like the
mosquitoes entombed in amber in the hit movie Jurassic Park.
     Carvings in the collection weigh from 16 grams to nearly a kilogram,
in shades ranging from a creamy bone to yellow and fiery tomato.  Some
pieces are opaque; others are translucent depending on the extent of
oxidation of each piece.
     Examples of the carved pieces include:
     * Leda and the Swan, a Baltic amber carving, incorporates the natural
features of the amber into a sculpture that features fine detail with
piercing and full figures.
     * The Three Graces, goddesses from Greek mythology, with three full
figures dancing with a cherub. The amber is framed with cast and fabricated
silver work and set on a silver base.
     The amber exhibition is made possible with the assistance of amber
expert Patty C. Rice and supported by generous contributions from the
collectors and the Fluor Foundation.
     The Gallery is located on the second floor of Old College. Hours for
the exhibition are 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Mondays through Fridays, and from 1-5
p.m., Saturdays and Sundays. The Gallery is closed all University holidays.
It is wheelchair accessible. Those individuals in need of special
assistance should call 831-8242 before visiting.
                                                  -Beth Thomas