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At this time, Broome in Western Australia was supplying much of the world’s raw mother of pearl. Production became so intense that thousands of tons of mother of pearl were harvested and transported around the world. Mother of pearl reached its height in the 19th century and all manner of items featured the material, including inkwells, snuff boxes, fans and card cases. In places such as Thailand and the Ottoman Empire, it was used in architecture, inlaid in doors, windows, thrones and throughout palaces. Palestine also became a hub for mother of pearl craft after Franciscan monks introduced the art to Bethlehem and craftsmen carved religious souvenirs to sell in the Holy Land and across Europe. And it is versatile, it can be easily worked and painted.’Īs the popularity of the material grew, major manufacturing centres formed in France, where the town of Méru was considered the capital of pearl making, and England, where it was used on buttons and cutlery. It is also durable – its natural function is to protect the inside of the mollusc’s shell. ‘It became popular because of its aesthetic appeal,’ says Matthew. Meanwhile, the French East India Company was importing raw shell from its colonies and trading with the Far East, stopping at ports in Madagascar and India.

From the 17th century, China imported raw shell from Indonesia to make gaming counters for rich Europeans, and sold surplus stock overseas.ĭark Capiz Shell shelves £31,200, Bethan Gray's Explore the Eden Collection In the 16th century, raw mother of pearl from the Philippines would travel in galleons to Mexico and then across land to ships bound for Spain. The shells were soon collected and sent around the world as people clambered to own a piece of this lustrous treasure from the sea. At first it was thought mother of pearl oyster beds existed in only three regions – the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea and the India-Sri Lanka coast, but European explorers on voyages of discovery found pearl oyster beds throughout tropical waters. It was certainly popular in China during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) – although it had been in use in China much earlier during the Bronze Age of the Shang dynasty (1500-1050 BC).’įrom the beginning, mother of pearl was used as it is today – mostly for decorative inlay – and it was both carved and engraved. ‘From archaeological evidence, we know that mother of pearl was also used by the Mesopotamians as far back as 2500 BC.

‘The Ancient Egyptians were using mother of pearl in at least 4200 BC – pieces have been found in pyramids and tombs of the ruling classes,’ says Matthew Thomas, Bonhams specialist in Islamic and Indian Art. The material is not purely of Indian origin, however.