Mother-of-Pearl Furniture

This cutlery set is made up of 36 knives with ribbed mother-of-pearl handles and silver ferrules: 12 table knives with mother-of-pearl handles, silver ferrule, stainless steel t...

We are delighted to offer for sale this stunning and very rare 19th century Grand Tour tilt top table hand painted with a scene of the Pon Du Gard Aqueduct in the south of France This table is pure art furniture, it is sublime from every angle, its based on a normal Victorian tilt top tripod table, the frame is ebonized, hand painted, the top is paper mâché, again hand painted with lots of mother or pearl inlay The scene depicts what looks like workers or fisherman, these seem to be Chinese so perhaps visiting France! We have cleaned waxed and polished it from top to bottom, it is in very good order throughout Pont du Gard...

Three-Tiered console with hand-laid mother-of-pearl, oak veneer & brass frame. Just like the real horizon, this Art Deco minimal console is simple yet inspiring. The oak veneer contrasts the hand-laid mother of pearl inspired by the hieroglyph representing water, and highlighted by the brass legs brining this piece to life. This delicate multi-tiered console is brimming with potential, ready to be personalized and adorned with your personal touch. This piece is beautiful as a luxurious inviting entrance...

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...

18 carat golden paper knife with paperclips. Enamel de limoges, pearls and sapphire, circa 1900. French.

Console with Hand-Laid Mother-of-Pearl/ Nacre Legs & 2 Organic-Shaped Oak Tops Contrasting lines and materials are what make our OPPOSITES ATTRACT console so special. The double cu...

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...

Sicis is delighted to welcome you at ‘Home’. The classically inspired extent in contemporary plays an eclectic style, elegant and refined. Interiors express personality. A constant...

A remarkable, twelve sided, intricately veneered and inlaid, 18th c. Italian, marquetry center table. The mother-of-pearl embellished top medalli...

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...

'Gossip' The essence of communication is our ability to transfer what we think, feel and how we perceive ourselves to others. When communicating, not only do people interact, but they also experience each other. We often take risk...

19th century Papier-mâché chair with gold leaf detail and Mother of Pearl Inlay.

Hand-crafted decorative mirror with three colors of genuine mother-of-pearl - large. Just like the sun, this trio of mirrors brings rays of warmth and joy to any space. They are int...

Console with hand-laid mother-of-pearl/ nacre and massive hand-crafted oak legs. Our charm console is a true testament to Egyptian craftsmanship; the massive oak leg is beautifully ...

Boodles 18ct gold diamond & mother of pearl cross on chain Period Late 20th c. Composition 18ct white gold cross set with mother of pearl and diamonds Dimensions (cross) 3...

Hand-crafted decorative mirror with three colors of genuine mother-of-pearl - medium. Just like the sun, this trio of mirrors brings rays of warmth and joy to any space. They are in...

A Rare Mughal Indian Gold and Enamel Mother of Pearl Spoon with Diamonds Discover the exquisite craftsmanship of Mughal India with this rare and...

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...