A delightful pair consisting of a salt cellar and a pepper pot made of white mother-of-pearl, each with its lid, also made of mother-of-pearl, encircled with silver-plated metal and a small clasp for opening. They are true gems!
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 inner layer 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's birth 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 from it have been found in Mesopotamia. Shells have served as currency all over the world; they have also been used as receptacles: some are so large that they serve as baptismal fonts in churches. The Mayans made dental implants from mother-of-pearl. Early Christians associated it with the Virgin Mary due to 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 purely, it also served to make buttons. Many Chinese engravings were made of mother-of-pearl. This complex process brought great delicacy 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 produce decorations of very high quality. Western countries also used mother-of-pearl from the Middle Ages. It was then used to manufacture luxury products. In the 14th century, it was widely used to make small religious sculptures, then from the 16th century, it became common in oriental furniture as decorative inlay. Italy used mother-of-pearl in the 18th century for haberdashery and jewelry. Finally, it was notably used 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 they are or elegantly displayed in a display case or cabinet of curiosities.
They are in excellent condition.
Dimensions: salt cellar (3 holes): height 6.2 cm, base width 4.2 cm, top 3.4 cm; pepper pot (2 holes): height 6.2 cm, base width 4 cm, top 3.2 cm, weight 35 g.
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