Finely carved mother of pearl shell of Christ and the Archangel

 

mother-of-pearl. Mother-of-pearl, technical name "nacre", is the inner layer of a sea shell. The iridescent colours and strength of this material were widely used in the nineteenth century as an inlay in jewelry, furniture, (especially papier mache furniture) and musical instruments. In the early 1900s it was used to make pearl buttons. Mother-of-pearl is a soft material that is easily cut or engraved.

Nowadays it is a by-product of the oyster, freshwater pearl mussel and abalone industries.

The buyers premium is an additional percentage charge on the hammer price of the item, imposed by the auction house to cover administrative costs. The buyers premium percentage varies between auction houses, with a range of 12.5% to 22%.