Shell Models and Miniatures

Rare Victorian (c. 1850) lacquered papier-mâché jewelry box with inlaid mother of pearl and gilding depicting a floral motif. The mother of pearl looks of high quality and shimmers w...

A very attractive and elegant mid-19th century mahogany miniature bow fronted chest having well figured top above two short and two long drawers raised on elegant splay feet.

Authentic giant clam shell specimen with its iconic sculptural form and sea inspired colors and textures.

19th c., American, four drawer miniature chest with Sheraton style pulls, on scalloped blocked feet. This attractive salesman sample is characterful with a lovely deep aged cherry co...

Antique Sailor's Folk Art Knot Board, circa 1880s, an intricate and elaborate array of approximately 41 bends, hitches, knots, splices, rigging and other fa...

Very unusual and stylish heavy gauge Mother of Pearl Lady’s or Gentleman’s Travelling two-piece Walking Stick with lavish allover inlay of multi colour Mother of Pearl. Mid Century p...

A pair of stunning miniature binoculars, or opera glasses, crafted from brass and clad in iridescent mother of pearl inlaid pieces. Dating from the late 19th to early 20th century, t...

Antique Collectible Ethnic Tribal Folk Art Crescent Shell Pieces Choker Necklaces from Papua New Guinea. Shell pieces cut from the gold lipped pearl oyster found off the waters of Papua New Guinea. Their opalescent color ranges from deep gold yellow to pale yellow. Each is pierced at the crescent point for a cord attachment enabling the owner to wear them singly or together around the neck. One had a line of holes along the inner edge of the crescent as a decorative feature. Highly Collectible Museum Pieces, worn by men and women rare old Kina Shell Necklaces (Huge Mother of Pearl Crescent) Pectoral Collected from the Foi Tribe (Papua New Guinea), Circa 1920’s. From the Art collection of Marian and John Scott. Acquisition date: 1969. Evaluation date records: 1982. About: For the people of the Highlands, shells were considered treasures. As they were items that came from distant shores of Papua New Guinea they were already objects used for trade. The number one source of mother of pearl wealth was and is still is from the Thursday Island, one of the chain of Island that suggests the ancient land bridge across the Torres Straits from Cape York, Australia to New Guinea. They were fashioned into objects of adornment worn on costumes, hair, nose, etc. Of particular rarity was the gold lipped pearl shell. References: Plumes and Arrows, Inside New Guinea, COlin Simpson, Angus and RObertson, 1968. CATEGORY Anthropology: Ethnography. Tribal Kina Shell Pectoral Necklace, Pearl shell ornamentation (neck). Kina (shell money) Oject part of Pacific Cultures Collections. Purchased from the amazing private collection of Mark Lissauer who spent his life collecting niche ethnographic pieces. About Mark Lissauer: Mark Lissauer spent forty years travelling abroad for months at a time collecting ethnographic artefacts primarily from New Guinea and the islands of the West Pacific, and from Asia and Himalayan countries. Fluent in five languages and having in the course of business travelled to more than forty countries, Mark is well-known to museums and art-collectors around the world for his long career and his interesting and diverse collection of rare ethnographic material. Mark knows the origin and symbolism of each piece. Through extensive research and more than ninety trips around the globe, Mark familiarised himself with the traditions of the various cultures he visited in order to understand the meaning of each object to its region and tribe. His home has a specialist library and several rooms are filled with tribal carvings, textiles and ethnographica. He acquired his first tribal piece in 1948 during a business trip to Milne Bay, New Guinea, and has since documented the acquisition of some 35,000 items. Several thousands of these have been sold to important private collections and museums worldwide, including the Rockefeller Museum, the British Museum and the Musée National des Arts d’Afrique et d’Océanie, now incorporated into the Louvre Museum. Estimator certificate of authenticity by Wayne Heathcote Tribal Art Dealer and Expert. Heathcote has a flash gallery in Brussels, where much of the tribal art business is centred, and is an expert at Sotheby's tribal art sale...

We are delighted to offer for sale this very nice suite of antique military officer Royal Horse Artillery (1 Cannon - 1873-1901) 18mm ball button with Queen Victoria's Crown brass Mi...

18th Century Rare European Vellum book found in Germany.  This book has aged beautifully with exquisite patina. Vellum (derived from the Latin word vitulinum meaning "made fro...

A stunning pair of French Opera glasses made from gilded brass, all intact and original. The glasses are clad in alternating Mother of Pearl or Nacre shell and Abalone shell, creati...

Art Deco Silver and Mother-of-Pearl Handled Walking Stick Offered for sale is an Art Deco walking stick with a silver handle that is topped ...