Shell Decorative Objects

Louis XV tortoiseshell Boulle Timepiece with ‘Silent’ pull quarter repeat by St. Martin, Paris, circa 1720 Waisted case with fine ormolu mounts and cut brass inlay to the stained tortoiseshell with ‘mother of pearl’ and coloured floral decoration. Gilded top surmounted by a cherub feeding through a straw from a scallop shell over leafy corner mounts. Shaped bead-bordered glazed door applied with an apron mount of a child chromos holding a sandglass and staff, set within a leafy trail surround. Brass lined recessed arch windows to the sides, the interior of the case with symmetrical Rococo panel...

Contemporary Indonesian purse made of a multitude of different shells. All connected by natural twine. Very decorative placed in a bowl.

A very fine and rare Charles X period Palais Royal ormolu and engraved mother of pearl Statuette Sculpture of a horse. With an engine-milled ormolu mounted mother-of-pearl base Prove...

This set of three hand painted vases in porcelain is unique of its kind. As the result of a fine 3D processing, the extra fine shell of each vase has a thickness of 1 millimetre,...

South Asian necklace. Piece from our one-of-a-kind collection, Le Monde. Exclusive to Brendan Bass. Globally curated by Brendan Bass, Le Monde furniture and accessories offer mo...

An abalone on high quality brass square box with a rosewood interior. circa 1940s.

South Asian necklace, including stand. In my vintage, organic, contemporary, and mid-century modern style. This piece is a part of Brendan Bass’s one-of-a-kind collection, Le Monde....

Pair of shell candelabra, Portugal 20th century.

19th century Indonesian set of two mollusk shells on stands. Beautiful natural aged patina from being under water for over 100 years. One measures 6" diameter and 13" tall One mea...

Pair of vintage crackled abalone jewelry boxes. Unmarked. Attributed to Maitland Smith. Measures: Larger box dimension: 7 7/8". 4 7/8". 3 3/8". ...

Bring a touch of exclusivity and history to your home or office with the NAUTILO Clock, a unique work created by designer Nino Basso. This extraordinary piece of contemporary furnit...

Elevate your cherished memories with our exquisite Vintage Italian Mother of Pearl Picture Frame, a timeless piece from the 1980s. Crafted with...

A beautiful mid century abalone box with bronze trim from Mexico. The box has a Rosewood interior. Circa 1950s.

A fine Palais Royal piece of a putti or child, in fire, mercury gilded ormolu. The child stand over a finely engraved piece of mother of pearl, the patterns of flowers, garlands and ...

A Vintage Italian Rectangular Picture Frame from the 1980s, made with mother of pearl, exudes elegance and unique craftsmanship. The frame is adorned with the lustrous iridescence of...

Sizeable rectangular, wooden coffer with its key. The blackened wood is inlaid with mother-of-pearl and brass. The lid and the main face of the box are r...

A very pretty and unusual pair of English gold mounted carved shell cameos of cupid and psyche on English black marble base. Extremely finely carved and clearly conceived as a pair a...

Solar chandelier, a customizable solar-powered lighting installation for the off-the-grid living room, comprises photovoltaic modules that power LED bulbs to illuminate translucent seashells to provide ambient lighting. The piece aims to demystify PV technology by exposing its components in a legible manner, so that the electrical boards, wires and batteries of the PV modules are clearly visible and comprehensible. Additionally, with a passing breeze, the chandelier becomes a wind chime. It also functions as a type of solar clock as it illuminates automatically at dusk, highlighting hourly solar and seasonal rhythms. The chandelier must be placed in front of a window to gather solar power. The Solar Chandelier lowers electric bills, eliminates wires and outlets, offers multi-directional ambient light, and casts patterns on surrounding surfaces like wallpaper. It can be customized to each setting.     The solar pieces by nea studio...

A large scale brass mounted gallery glass with a mother of pearl veneered handle. Probably Palais Royal France, circa 1840 Measure: Length 12 inches.

Pedestal Box on Stand Table made of Paper Mache and Mother of Pearl with Gold Details.

Discover the striking photo frame designed by Nino Basso, part of the Fossiline collection. This exceptional piece of furniture perfectly frames your images, fitting elegantly into c...

Discover the exclusive photo frame created by Nino Basso, designer of the Fossiline collection. This stunning piece of furniture frames your most cherished images with elegance and u...

An exclusive and refined desk accessory: this business card holder combines elegant design with the extraordinary beauty of a genuine fossil ammonite. Each piece is unique and unrep...

An exclusive and refined desk accessory: this business card holder combines elegant design with the extraordinary beauty of a genuine fossil ammonite. Each piece is unique and unrep...

From the perfect fusion of nature and design comes this extraordinary photo frame with authentic fossil ammonite, a unique piece from the FOSSILINE collection created by designer Nin...

Add a touch of history and sophistication to your desk with this unique letter opener with genuine ammonite. A luxury accessory with an unmistakable design made from a real Manticoce...

A gorgeous Kifu Paris decorative box in creme shagreen over a rich walnut base, blending both modern elegance and timeless craftsmanship. The lid of the box is adorned with an exquis...

Wonderful Sculpture by the noted German born Tahitian artist Andreas Dettloff. The sculpture is titled “My Polynesian Heart” and dated 2003. It, or an extremely similar one is depict...

Mother of pearl and Ormolu watch holder and inkwell. The center of the piece is decorated with an angel who is standing on a pedestal that rests in a semi...

A beautiful French 19th century Louis XVI st. ormolu, Baccarat crystal and mother of pearl vase. The vase is raised by a most impressive and wonderfull...

Monumental pair of Chinese carved wood brush pots adorned with mother of pearl and white bone details. Late 18th century. Brush pots were used by Chines...

On a basis in polished metal lies a magnificent fossil of genuine trilobite that seems to rest on top of a rock. Today, this exceptional marine organism lived millions of years ago...

Ostrich egg is 5.5" w. No cracks or repairs.

A delightful French basket mounted in doré bronze which provides the framework for the six panels veneered in mother-of-pearl and set with French porcelain plaques...

White Makrana marble, used to build the Taj Mahal, from Indian is the densest marble on the planet. This handmade octagonal shaped makrana marble box ha...

Japanese decorative woven box. Late Edo/Early Meiji Japanese box, with mother-of-pearl and ceramic inlay in autumnal leaf motif. Complete with working lock a...

“El Asombro” (The Amusement) (2008) - Contemporary bronze sculpture by Manuel Mendive, who is an eminent Afro-Cuban painter, sculptor, and performance artist. It is numbered and sign...

Mellerio Paris, A French Gold, Diamonds, Silver-Gilt, Rock-Crystal, Jade, Mother-Of-Pearl and Smoky Quartz, Carved Horse Sculpture, Jeweled Mounted Object. An extremely rare and unique, one of a kind French gold, diamonds, Silver-gilt, rock-crystal, jade, obsidian, mother-of-pearl, and smoky quartz carved jeweled sculpture "CHEVAUX DE LEGENDE", "A Legendary Horse" by Mellerio, Paris, circa 1991. Sitting on black obsidian base, the solid rock-crystal slab is finely applied with a carved smoky -quartz and jade horse with a harness mounted in 18k gold, brilliant -cut diamonds, rubies, turquoise, and amethyst chains and pendants. The top columns adorned with 18k gold and brilliant cut diamond pendants, the bottom with gold and mother of pearl plaques. The obsidian base with a plaque engraved: CHEVAUX DE LEGENDE" / N° 05 / MELLERIO DITS MELLER / PARIS / 5003 D The piece is in excellent condition and comes with a custom made wood case made for transport. It's very elegant and has French hallmarks throughout. A truly magnificent piece. Measures 10.5" high x 8.5" wide x 4" deep Founded in France in 1613 by the descendants of Italian immigrants from the Vigezzo Valley in the north of Italy, Mellerio is one of the oldest jewellery houses in Europe. The family business soon attracted the attention of the Royal Court and Marie Antoinette herself reportedly purchased a precious bracelet featuring 7 cameos surrounded by rubies in 1780. Later on, in the 19th century, Mellerio became the official supplier of the French Royal family and the Court of Netherland. Mellerio creates many jewellery items, all set with rare gems such as peridots, amethysts, aquamarines, citrines and topaz, applying for a patent, the flexible stem, a very supple and light jewellery mechanism. Mellerio remains also well known for their spectacular series of Art Nouveau jewels, created at the beginning of the 20th century, as well as for the creation of trophies rewarding some of the greatest footfall and tennis players of history. In 1993, the jewellery house launched their first watch collection. Today, Mellerio has stores in Paris, Japan and Hong Kong. July 14, 1789: this date is known throughout the world as the beginning of the French Revolution. According to a ledger belonging to House of Mellerio, this was also the day that the jeweler sold a golden key to the Comte de Coutance for 10 livres. This ledger, as well as inventories dating as far back as 1768, are the jeweler’s oldest archives. These archives have continued to grow over the years, as the House, established on rue de la Paix in Paris, still lives on today, still in the hands of the same family from Craveggia, in the North of Italy. The tumultuous history of the Mellerio family in France probably goes as far back as the Italian wars of the Renaissance, but the first official document proving their commercial activity in Paris dates back to 1613. This document is the famous royal warrant awarded by Marie de Medici to a number of Italian families established along the rue des Lombards, including the Mellerios, allowing them to sell “small jewelery items”, therefore granting them a small exception to the traditional monopoly enjoyed by Parisian jewelers. At that time, powerful corporations regulated the operations and customs of Parisian business, but thanks to this exceptional warrant, the Mellerios managed to escape the confines of this framework. Today, this wax-sealed document is kept at the city hall of Craveggia. From 1613 to the Revolution, the Mellerios lived between France and Italy. The corporations tried many times to put an end to their trade privileges, but all in vain, as a dynasty of sovereigns renewed the warrant. Always marrying and often retiring in Craveggia, the Mellerios continued to maintain their jewelry business in Paris. At first, they did this without a shop. Wearing backpacks (wooden boxes divided into small compartments where jewels were kept), they would tour town fairs around Paris and royal castles. This is how Jean-Baptiste Mellerio (1765-1850) is said to have sold a bracelet set with rubies and Antique cameos to Marie-Antoinette, which still exists today. Many elements seem to prove the veracity of this anecdote. The queen was particularly fond of cameos, which cover the entire background of her famous jewelry cabinet, and ruby was her favorite stone after diamond. The famous bracelet, reacquired a few years ago by the House of Mellerio, is indeed an 18th century jewel, set with antique cameos representing the profiles of Roman emperors. Two branches of the family were operating in Paris during this time, under the reign of Louis XVI: that of Jean-François (1746-1828), the paternal ancestor of the current Mellerios, and that of Jean-Baptiste (1765-1850). The French Revolution forced them to return to Italy. However, both Jean-Baptiste and François Mellerio (1772-1843), who was the son of Jean-François, were eventually able to return to Paris after the founding of the Consulate. Jean-Baptiste opened a shop at the Iron Crown of rue Vivienne, and François opened his at the Palais des Tuileries, rue du Coq Saint-Honoré. His well-organized order books give an idea of his high-ranking clientele during the “Old Regime”, among which were the Comte and Comtesse Octave de Segur, the Marquise (later Duchess) de Tourzel, former governess of the royal children, and her daughter, the Comtesse de Bearn, the Craufurds -who organized the flight to Varennes, the Duc and Duchess de Gramont, the Comtesse de Boigne, and Madame de Souza, Talleyrand’s mistress. We also see the names of the imperial family: Empress Josephine, the Queen of Holland, Princess Elisa, Caroline and Pauline. At that time, the House of Mellerio specialized, among other things, in the trade of antique cameos, a newly fashionable genre of jewel that captured the imagination of all the princesses and noble women of the time. The years of the Restauration and July Monarchy were among the most glorious. The Bourbons were back on the throne, and the clientele of the House of Mellerio had regained its former wealth. Mellerio supplied Louis-Philippe, Duke of Orléans, as well as his mother, wife and sister, with sumptuous jewels, including a set of emeralds made piece by piece, while the Duke of Bourbon, last prince of the House of Condé, offered diamonds to his mistress, the scheming Baronne de Feucheres, and Monsieur de LaFayette also bought cameos for one of his granddaughters. For the first time, Mellerio ventured into the world of arts in 1815, when Carlotta Grisi, a famous dancer who created Giselle, as well as an actress named Rachel, bought jewels at the Mellerio store on rue de la Paix. 1848 marked a new turning point. France once again became a Republic. François Mellerio handed the company over to his son, Jean, and the latter decided to travel to Spain to build a new clientele. He later became one of the jewelers of the royal family, and met Eugénie de Montijo, who remained a faithful client when she became empress of the French people. The Imperial years were lavish. During the Second Empire, Paris was a pageant of crinoline dresses designed by Worth, while jewels by Mellerio, Worth’s neighbour on the rue de la Paix, adorned the noble women of the Tuileries court. The Empress bought pearls. Mathilde Bonaparte...