Amber Mickey (2009) by Adrianna LisowskaMuseum of Gdańsk
Tucked away in the Museum of Gdańsk, Poland, is this unusual artwork. Looking something like bubblegum and gravel, it's actually a nugget of raw amber adorned by artist Adrianna Lisowska with a pair of resin mickey mouse ears.
Amber nugget from the Baltic Sea (40 million years B.C.)Museum of Gdańsk
Amber is the fossilised resin of ancient trees - this piece is over 40 million years old. While many trees produces resin, only particular environmental conditions produce amber. In fact, amber is rare enough to be considered a precious stone.
Throughout history and across cultures, amber has been associated with wealth, magic, and medicine. Its raw state may be unappealing, but once cut and polished it shines and glows a warm orange.
Necklace Necklace (1760/1769) by UnknownThe Victoria and Albert Museum
Amber Mickey (2009) by Adrianna LisowskaMuseum of Gdańsk
Lisowska's artwork pairs this valuable, symbolic material with the cheap, plastic mouse ears in a kitschy coming-together of pop art and precious gemstone.
But what about the other half of this artwork? Of course, the Mickey ears have their own storied history…
Walt Disney (1950) by Alfred EisenstaedtLIFE Photo Collection
Mickey Mouse was created by animator Walt Disney in 1928. With his instantly-recognisable red shorts, white gloves. and mouse ears, he quickly became the mascot of the Disney company.
A still from Fantasia (1940) by Walt DisneyItalian American Museum of Los Angeles
First appearing in Steamboat Willie (1928), Mickey Mouse starred in numerous cartoons classics of the 20th Century; from animated shorts such as The Band Concert (1938) to full-length feature films like Fantasia (1940), seen here.
Activity book:The Disney Book of Masks (1985)The Strong National Museum of Play
But it wasn't just films. From the early days, Mickey Mouse was designed to be a brand that could be slapped on to all sorts of merchandise. What began in the 20s with stuffed toys became by the middle of the century a range of figurines, T-shirts, and mouse-eared masks.
Andy Mouse (1986) by Keith HaringNakamura Keith Haring Collection
The cultural dominance of Disney throughout the second half of the Twentieth Century led artists to adopt the iconic mouse ears as a shorthand for popular entertainment and intellectual property - as in this Andy Warhol and Mickey Mouse image by Keith Haring.
Amber Mickey (2009) by Adrianna LisowskaMuseum of Gdańsk
Looking back at Lisowska's artwork, we can see that this simple sculpture contains a rich array of references drawn from Western and Eastern, and ancient and modern art history. This simply combination of amber and resign raises a number of questions.
What is the value of amber in the modern world? Why are some brands so popular? Who really owns the image of Mickey Mouse? Do the best artists create or steal? Do we live in local cultures or a global monoculture?
Interior of the Painting Gallery at Artus Court (2022) by Agnieszka GrabowskaMuseum of Gdańsk
Museum of Amber, Gdansk
If you'd like to learn more about the rich history of this rare and precious material, you can take a look around the Museum of Amber, Gdańsk, and see their unparalleled collection of amber artworks.
