SHELL.
Shells
come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and colours, and
may be fashioned into beads, buttons, jewellery, inlay,
knife handles, snuffboxes, and other decorative items. Conch
shells with pink and white layers may be carved into
intricate and attractive cameos, as may helmet shells, which
have white outer layers and golden brown or orange inner
layers. The large pearl oysters (pinctada maxima and
p.margaritifera), abalones (paua), and topshells (Trochidae)
are all prized for their iridescent (mother of pearls) shell
linings. Tortoiseshell comes, not from the tortoise, but
from the hard shell (carapace) of the Hawksbill Turtle. It
has rich brown mottling or flame like patterns on a warm,
translucent, golden yellow background, and is fashioned by
warming the shell to flatten it and to scrape off the
ridges, followed by polishing and cutting to shape.
Occurrence
Pinctada
oysters are found off the coast of the USA and paua shells
off New Zealand. The Hawksbill Turtle is found in the warm
waters of Indonesia and the West Indies.
REMARK
Tortoiseshell
has now been largely replaced by plastic imitations.
TIGER
COWRE
CAMEO
This oriental lady has been
carved in a Tiger Cowris shell (Cyprae tigris). The
different coloured layers have been cut away to create the
effect of foreground and background. |
 |
HAIR
COMB
This
tortoiseshell comb shows attractive, almost
fiery, patterns of yellow and brown, with darker
patches. |
|
 |
SPIDER
CONCH
(LMABIS LAMBIS)
Bright pink interior may be used for inlay work.
Shell found on inshore sands of Indo-Pacific. |
|
 |
ROMAN
CAMEO
This cameo has
been carved into the shell of cassidae madagascarensii.
The detail is picked out in the upper layer of
the shell. |
|
 |
HINGED
BOX
The
Lid and base of this box show the distinctive
colouring and patterning of tortoiseshell. Some
light areas are transparent to semitranslucent;
darker areas are opaque |
|
|
