Lovely Victorian caviar spoon set consisting of 5 small white mother-of-pearl and silver-plated metal spoons and a serving spoon in white mother-of-pearl with a silver-plated metal handle ending in a seashell (conch).
Mother-of-pearl is a natural and organic material. It is the iridescent coating synthesized by certain shells throughout their lives. This coating lines the inside of the shell, forming the smooth, iridescent lining of mollusk shells, such as oysters or mussels, for example.
It is therefore a mineral produced by a living organism, a biomineral. The shell produces mother-of-pearl molecules using specialized cells, which it deposits on the shell and sometimes on the pearl when the conditions for a pearl to form are met. These cells are found in the "mantle" of the animal, which passes several times a day to add "bricks (aragonite) and cement (conchiolin)" (source: specialiste-de-la-nacre.com).
It is therefore the same material that is used to make the shell and the pearl.
The word "nacre" comes from the Arabic "naqqarah". In English, it is called by the name given to it by the first Queen Elizabeth who lived in the 15th century: mother of pearl. Mother-of-pearl has been used by humans for a very long time, as tools and jewelry made of it have been found in Mesopotamia. Shells have served as a medium of exchange all over the world; they have also been used as containers: some are so large that they constitute baptismal fonts in churches. The Mayans made dental implants from mother-of-pearl. Early Christians associated it with the Virgin Mary because of its purity, and the scallop shell became the emblem of pilgrims to Compostela (source: www.vuillermoz.fr).
Its beauty is such that mother-of-pearl was already a decorative element in Antiquity. It was inlaid in lacquer objects and wooden furniture in Japan and China. Used pure, it also served to make buttons. Many Chinese engravings were made of mother-of-pearl. This complex process brought great finesse to scenes of oriental life, landscapes and objects of all kinds. The work of mother-of-pearl in the Far East still respects traditions to provide decorations of very high quality. Western countries also used mother-of-pearl from the Middle Ages. It was then used to make luxury products. In the 14th century, it was widely used to make small religious sculptures, then from the 16th century, it was commonly found in oriental furniture as decorative inlay. Italy used mother-of-pearl in the 18th century for haberdashery and jewelry. Finally, it was noted in the 19th century to decorate boxes and furniture (source: www.pingtipong.com/bijoux/nacre-et-histoire-de-l-art).
Mother-of-pearl has been used to make accordion buttons, jewelry, to give a pearly sheen to cosmetic products... Cabinetmakers used it to marquetry furniture, like the famous Boulle who also used tortoiseshell and metal veneers.
These are very refined small objects that can be used as is (and not only for caviar!) or to elegantly furnish a display cabinet or a cabinet of curiosities.
They are in excellent condition.
Dimensions: small spoon: total length 10.1 cm, spoon 2.2 cm X 3.1, handle width 1.2 cm; large spoon length 14 cm, spoon 4 cm X 5.7 cm, handle width 2 cm, total weight 40 g.
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