Antique Mother of Pearl Tea Caddy
You must be a subscriber, and be logged in to view price and dealer details.
Subscribe Now to view actual auction price for this item
When you subscribe, you have the option of setting the currency in which to display prices to $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.
- 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 jewellery, 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.
This item has been included into following indexes:
Visually similar items
A fine mother of pearl octagonal tea caddy, English, circa 1850. 10 cm high, 15 cm wide
A gold lambskin leather mini classic flap handbag and coin purse, Chanel. Gold hardware and strap. Width 19 cm. Height 12 cm. Depth 5 cm.
A Japanese tortoiseshell veneered and lacquered tea caddy rectangular with rounded edges and a raised maki bird motif to lid, internally with twin tortoiseshell veneer and lacquered lids, 21 cm wide
A Doulton Lambeth biscuit barrel, 'Birds in Flight and Roosting' by Florence Barlow, with reserves of morning and night birds and floral sprays within raised and beaded borders, 15 cm high