Amber was commissioned by the then HRH Prince Charles to design a carpet for the picture gallery in Buckingham Palace. The picture gallery is 47 metres in length and spans the centre of the palace. It is home to George IV’s collection of paintings, featuring works by Holbein, Rubens, Rembrandt, Canaletto, and Van Dyck.
Amber’s is the first-ever contemporary-designed carpet in the palace.
It has lifted the room immensely. People keep asking if we have decorated. We are thrilled
Edward Griffiths, Deputy Master of the Queen's Household.
Amber sought to evoke the essence of an ancient Albion pastoral scene—a vision of spiraling buttercups swayed by gentle breezes, and narcissus gracefully entwined amidst wild roses.
The circular turning of oneself, mirroring the rolling pastures below, resonates with the celestial expanse above, where ethereal clouds drift across the heavens in a mesmerizing symphony.
The presence of delicate five-petal pink roses embodies the union of red and white, a poignant reflection of history's amalgamation.
Through these chosen blooms, the air is imbued with the sweet perfume of roses and narcissi, weaving a tapestry of fragrant beauty
and profound symbolism.
Designs for the carpet include detailed instructions for the manufacturers Brintons of Kidderminster.
These include descriptions asking that the wool colours be blended to create an illusion of a glowing star within the buttercup motif.
Initially, three distinct designs were presented.
The intention was for Her Majesty the Queen to choose one, which would then be developed into three additional exquisite designs.
The Queen was so enamoured with all three that Amber was requested to merge them into a single cohesive design.
This unexpected request posed a unique creative challenge but ultimately led to a harmonious interpretation of an eternal landscape.
