Every now and then, nature has the power to deceive us. At first glance, the hard, pearly interior of a mollusc shell might seem like nothing more than a quirk of evolution—and one that looks quite pretty by our own human standards., or “nacre,” is the same substance as the outermost layer of an actual pearl.
Perhaps that’s why the material has had such a storied history in the world of art and design. Mother-of-pearl’s decorative usage shows that it can serve a functional purpose too. Walk through the corridors of the Victoria & Albert Museum and you’ll spot mother-of-pearl in 18th-century snuff boxes, on a pair of 17th-century bellows, on lacquered Korean jewellery boxes and Victorian teething rings.
But amongst the floral jewellery boxes and delicate buttons on elegant blouses, mother-of-pearl has its own stories to tell. For instance, one thing you’ll find, trawling through the archives at the V&A, are small reliefs carved into mother-of-pearl discs from 15th-century Europe. The material was favoured by artisans who depicted religious scenes, often sold to Renaissance-era pilgrims, as they traversed around the continent in search of higher meaning.
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