A charming pair consisting of a salt shaker and a pepper shaker made of white mother-of-pearl, each with its screw-on cap, also made of mother-of-pearl and encircled with silver-plated metal. 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 lining of mollusk shells, such as oysters or mussels, for example.
It is therefore a mineral produced by a living organism, a bio-mineral. The mollusk uses specialized cells to produce mother-of-pearl molecules, 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 animal's "mantle" and pass 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 because of its purity, and the scallop shell became the emblem of Compostela pilgrims (source: www.vuillermoz.fr).
Its beauty is such that mother-of-pearl already represented a decorative element in Antiquity. It was inlaid in lacquer objects and wooden furniture in Japan and China. Used pure, it was also used 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 onwards. 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 was commonly found in oriental furniture as decorative inlay. Italy used mother-of-pearl in the 18th century for haberdashery and jewelry. Finally, it became noticeable in the 19th century for decorating 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 decorate a display case or a cabinet of curiosities.
They are in excellent condition.
Dimensions: salt shaker (3 holes): height 5.5 cm, base width 7.7 cm, top 1.9 cm; pepper shaker (2 holes): height 5.5 cm, base width 7.4 cm, top 1.9 cm, weight 47 g.
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