217 results for "mother of pearl"

Dimensions: L: 1 3/8in W: 1 3/8in This Pair of Vintage Coco Chanel Clip On Earrings are truly spectacular!! If you look at the photos provided you will see the attention to detail ...

This piece has a great story. We found this jazz musical instrument with incredible patina and added a thick lucite base and reconstructed this into a one of kind sculpture. The deta...

Early 20th century, similar to the Carambol billard table designed by Josef Hoffmann in 1903 for the Purkersdorf Sanatorium - see the enclosed image. Th...

For your consideration, a vintage wood hand drum, also known as a darbuka, doumbek, or goblet drum, featuring intricate mosaic mother-of-pearl inlay. It i...

Fascinated with all things wild, from exotic wood textures to the delicate butter fly silhouettes, the intriguing Euphoria Screen captures the mystic and seduction that lies behind t...

The whimsical, layered, incredibly chic, and livable interiors and the fresh and original insights of the coolest design duo fill every page of this treasure chest of a debut interiors book. Every Pierce & Ward home tells a story. Emily and Louisa believe that there is a beauty in the unfolding of a room that takes the eye dancing from one piece to the next, swirling over velvets of peach and gold, gliding over glass and marble, and stopping to take in the homeowner's precious sentimental favorites. As the designers for such Hollywood powerhouses, supermodels, and rock stars as Brie Larson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Dakota Johnson...

This charming musical jewelry and sewing box is a work of sublime artistry. Almost certainly German or Austrian in origin and crafted of deep, ebonized...

Rectangular cigarette case with rounded corners in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated with fire-enameled and hand-painted miniature by painter Renato Dainelli depicting a pheasant....

There is a sense of reveal and conceal as KOKET takes a beautiful nightstand in aged mirror and adorns it in metal organic lace, revealing a mesmerizing hint of what lies beneath. Fo...

Vintage Peter Muir Yew Wood Longbow. A very good archery long bow, produced by Peter Muir, the Scottish bowyer (bow-maker) from Edinburgh. The bow is fitted with two horn nocks, a mo...

This exceptional eight-panel Coromandel screen is a rare example of traditional Chinese lacquer artistry, offering a dramatic narrative focal point for a grand interior. Each panel i...

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...

Japanese Lacquered Decorated Wall Panels, Screens These 4 very attractive decorated panels in the Shibayama style, probably created for the export market They are lacquered in go...

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...

A beautiful vintage white beaded handbag with brass hardware decorated with Mother-Of-Pearl, pastel enamels and marcasite details, circa early to m...

Exotic white cotton umbrella with bamboo ribs trimmed with carved wood and mother of pearl drops. The two-piece pole is decorated with tribal unscripted metal, as is the finial. All ...

Finely crafted miniature display stand in dark hardwood, likely hongmu, realized during the late Qing Dinasty (end of 19th Century) and featuring a delicately pierced and reticulated...

1970s Chinese lacquered folding screen with mother of pearl inlay Asian motifs.  

18th Century miniature bronze gilt cabinet with underglass paintings 18th Century gilt Bronze Miniature, Gold Sewing tools Cabinet A 18th Century bronze gilded miniature cabinet, se...

1970s Chinese lacquered folding screen with mother of pearl inlay Asian motifs.  

Stunning pair of antique French burlwood inlaid marble top night stands having single drawer and lower cabinet door with upper and lower shelves inside. The interior of the lower shelf is lined with its original white carrara marble (one of the shelves is missing its side piece). The marble on top is a beautiful gray with veining. The drawer fronts are cross banded with mahogany and inlaid with boxwood with inlaid mother of pearl diamonds. The sides and lower shelf have book matched veneers and mahogany cross banding. The front of each cabinet door has a beautifully done inlaid marquetry pair...

Bring a touch of exotic elegance and artisanal charm to your home with this exquisite, hand-embroidered Suzani lumbar pillow. This stunning piec...

An extraordinary Alexandra Llewellyn design in wood marquetry that offers an exciting new way to play this timeless game, our circular Zodiac board...

Pair of French Art Nouveau iron twin beds with green patina and decorated tole trim with pearl inlay (includes: headboard and footboard only does not in...

'Ronde' (Round) is a hinged four-panel screen covered with stretched paper on the front. The surface is hand-painted with mineral pigments and depicts a floral composition. Plants wi...

Divide a room or accent a living room wall with this elegant antique Chinese folding screen. Crafted in China circa 1920, the six-panel...

French enamel opera glasses by L. Fils, Paris, featuring a striking apple red enamel finish accented with mother-of-pearl detailing. These binoculars are fully functional and smoothl...

Salvador Corona painted four-panel wooden floor screen created in his studio in Mexico circa 1938. This rare hand crafted multi medium room divider was the property of the daughter of one of Mexico's wealthiest families of the period, who married the head of an international railroad supply company in their Warren McArthur furnished apartment on Park Avenue. The custom designed Warren McArthur furniture was a gift of the Pullman Company. In the early 1950s she opened a shop in Boothbay, Maine and later on upper Lexington Avenue specializing in the crafts of Mexico. This may have been a wedding present to her from the artist, her family or a close friend. The screen shows a the harbor of 19th Century Acapulco with the major buildings with gold leaf tiled roofs, Spanish galleons in the bay, a whale spouting in the distance, birds, and silver leafed palm trees . The harbor scene is bordered in gilt painted cord. Within which are appliquéd cutout medallions of various local fish and air bubbles covered in tinfoil ,a new material in the 30s. The tinfoil is finely etched in a variety of intricate patterns. Some of the appliqués are glazed in gold. The reverse side of the screen is an ivory white back ground with vignettes from the Maximilian era of Mexico. The screen is in good condition with wear consistent with its age. Salvador Corona was born on his family's ranch Hacienda Mideras in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Corona’s family moved to Mexico City in 1903 when he was 8. He attended the New English College in Mexico and then crossed into a career in bull fighting entering the ring for the first time in 1913. In 1919 in Guadalajara he was gored and turned to painting. He was given his first painting lessons by fellow bullfighter Jose Jimenez. Corona’s painting career spanned many decades and diverse formats including murals, furniture and decorative household items. In 1939, the Mexican government invited him to exhibit a set of painted furniture at it's booth at the World’s Fair in New York City. There, it was presented to President Franklin D. Roosevelt as a gift. Corona’s work attracted many famous patrons, including the Duchess of Windsor, Gary Cooper and writer Clare Booth Luce. Salvador Corona’s work featured many Spanish Colonial vignettes, and he became an authority on Spanish and French costumes of the 1800s, which are frequently depicted in his paintings. His favorite subjects often included Mexican Colonial criollos and Purepecha (Tarascan) Indians. Birds and other animals feature prominently in his work. His traditional self-developed folk art style images depicted pastoral colorful scenes of Maximilian era Mexico painted on white backgrounds. His work can be divided into three categories: a vice-regal era with European and Creole noblemen mixed with Indians; stylized landscapes of Patscuaro, Acapulco or the Canal of Santa Anita; and his iconographic Mexican Virgins...

Impressive Chinese export four panel lacquered coromandel screen featuring hand-carved soapstone beauties in a floral landscape with gilt clo...

A highly decorative 19th Century Chinese hardwood table screen consisting of three shaped panels, each panel having pierced and carved floral fretwork and inlaid with mother of pearl...

There is a sense of reveal and conceal as KOKET takes a beautiful nightstand in high gloss lacquer and adorns it in metal organic lace, revealing a mesmerizing hint of what lies bene...

The Paris based label has distinguished themselves since their launch, with their iconic use of shagreen mixed with brass and other exotic materials. All furniture is handcrafted by ...

Art Decò walking stick: jewel cane, cylindrical knob in rock crystal, band made of 18Kt gold, fretwork, 4 squares of two sizes, which allow you ...

This exceptional and rare French nécessaire de voyage is almost certainly the work of the highly respected Parisian manufacturer Pierre-Dominique ...

A very rare and fine Charles X period pair of mother of pearl and ormolu ring stands, depicting Robinson Crusoe and Man Friday. Set upon wooden bases with e...

French Modernist Art Deco piano and bench by Pierre-Paul Montagnac, a variant of the model used in one of the luxe apartments, the Caen, on the great French oceanliner Normandie in 1935. Created in rosewood and sycamore, and carefully and correctly restored, including the fine Erard (#127208) instrument. 56” wide x 60” deep. Documented in numerous sources, including the July 1935 issue of Art et Decoration. Pierre-Paul Montagnac (1883-1961) Born in Saint-Denis, France on 9 May 1883, Pierre-Paul Montagnac was equally talented as a fine artist and a decorative artist. He was educated in both disciplines, studying with Eugene Carriére as well as at the Académie de la Grande Chaumiére, both in Paris. His inaugural exhibition was at the 1912 Salons – and at the 1920 Salon d’Automne he received a traveling scholarship. In 1918 he began working in the firm of André Mare and from 1922 collaborated with Maurice Dufrene at La Maîtrise, the famous design studio of Galeries Lafayette. From 1921 he exhibited at the Salons of la Société des Artistes Décorateurs, Salon des Architectes Modernes, and internationally, in Barcelona and Leipzig. He designed suites on the grand French oceanliners, l’Atlantique, Normandie and Pasteur. At the 1925 Paris International Exposition his work was in a standout class. At the 1937 Exhibition he organized the pavillion of the Artistes Decorateurs and personally won a Grand Prix. For the New York Exhibition in 1938, he was a member of the international jury, organized the group of Decorators, and, as architect, organized the exhibitions of jewelry and perfumes. He became a member of the Society of Modern Architects and executed important and numerous architecture and decorating projects including the luxury apartments on the great French oceanliners l’Atlantique, Pasteur, and Normandie. Vice President and then President of the Societe des Artistes Decorateurs from 1930-1938, he was also President of the Salon d’Automne and Vice President of the Committee of the Exhibition of Arts and Embellishments of Life; member of the steering committee of C.T.I. and Artistic Property, member of the Board of Directors of the Central Union of Decorative Arts. He was also an Officer of the Legion of Honor and received the Cross of War. MONTAGNAC was the son of an engineer and he had a taste for geometry and science that predisposed him to the rigors of architectural laws. Multi-talented, he worked independently as a painter – who had paintings acquired by the French government – while also working in the related fields of architecture and decoration. His work included homes, apartments, galleries, luxury shops, banks and the aforesaid oceanliners. As a designer/decorater, Montagnac had the taste for quality, luxurious furniture, using precious woods, bronze extensions, ivory inlays, mother-of-pearl, metal and coral. He advocated for a resolutely modern style and, free of all pastiches, focused on beautiful cabinetry, the challenges of furniture design, particularly from 1940 to 1945, captured all his attention. The tireless activity of Montagnac, whose varied works are represented in official museums and residences, was also recognized from a professional and social point of view. He was a remarkable organizer, devoted to the cause of art, to the defense of the trade and his colleagues. It was Montagnac who, in 1939, with Anatole de Monzie, took the initiative to found the ENTRAIDE to Artists (which provides support to talented young French artists). MOBILIER ET DECORATION, September/October 1953 ERARD An illustrious piano manufacturer, Sebastien Erard began building superior harpsichords in Paris in the mid-1700s, produced pianos for the French Court, and received a multitude of patents, many of which are still in use in piano manufacturing. Erard pianos were marketed as the finest pianos in the world and were owned by Queen Victoria, Franz Liszt, Chopin, Verdi, Ravel, and Felix Mendelssohn among many others. They continued to enjoy international success well into the 20th century. They were known for their unique sound quality, similar to the American square grand piano...

There is a sense of reveal and conceal as KOKET takes a beautiful nightstand in high gloss lacquer and adorns it in metal organic lace, revealing a mesmerizing hint of what lies bene...

The Paris based label has distinguished themselves since their launch, with their iconic use of shagreen mixed with brass and other exotic materials. All furniture is handcrafted by ...

An extremely good-sounding buffet-style upright antique cylinder music box made by Mojon Manger in Geneva, Switzerland c. 1880. The fully...

The bedside table is made of white rock crystal marquetry with a polished satin finish. It has 3 drawers on push to open rails, with casted bronze decors. The nightstands seats on f...

This Zuni Indigenous American sterling silver and inlaid gemstone figural rabbit brooch or pendant was made by Porfillo and Ann Sheyka. The piece was handmade in most likely the late...

18th century Italian crucifix with gold-plated kyanite, calcite crystals in matrix, and baroque pearls. The crucifix is originally from a church in Liguria. It is hand-carved and pai...

Secessionist 1902, Bechstein Model VI grand piano with an inlaid, mahogany case and statement copper hinges. Cabinet inspired by Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau periods. The polished...

19th century 3 antique Victorian gold topped canes or parasol handles, some monogrammed, one with mother of pearl, see more pictures.

An extremely rare museum quality monkey ‘chamber orchestra’ automata musical picture, made in France in c. 1855 and signed ‘Riviere’. The picture is in extraordinarily good origina...

A large and fantastic-sounding buffet-style upright antique music box made by Mojon Manger of Geneva, Switzerland, c. 1885. The movement features six sau...

Darkly playful and meticulously crafted, Alexandra Llewellyn’s Skull Marquetry Poker Set is a bold meditation on risk, luck and the high stakes of ...

Wildly luxurious, Alexandra Llewellyn’s Jungle Marquetry Poker Set brings the rainforest to the card table. Inlaid with over 1,000 pieces of sustai...

Rare Dunhill Salaam Namiki Cigarette Lighter With Arc de Triomphe Motif A Collaboration between Jaeger LeCoultre and Dunhill in the 1940's described as t...

This rectangular bedside table has two drawers and it is made of white rock crystal marquetry with shagreen drawers. The edges and the base have brushed stainless steel trims. The ha...

A good William IV period rosewood and mother-of-pearl bow fronted stick barometer with its original bowed glass thermometer by this fine London make...

Antique rosewood French wedding chest made as a fancy and expensive gift for the bride. The rosewood chest has gilt bronze stringing and Boulle style inlay of mother-of-pearl and bro...

Title: Antique Chinese Black Lacquered Four Panel Folding Screen Room Divider w/ Carved Hardstone, China, c. 1950s About: This exceptional vintage Chinese screen room divider exempl...

Contemporary Pin/Pendant. 14K Gold Antique Mother-of-Pearl, Chinese Gambling Chip Pin, and Combination Enhancer. Hand-carved tiger-eye fac...

Purse revealing diary and pen in the interior.

American Sheraton Mahogany five drawer miniature chest with a carved molded edge top, flanking turned bulbous half columns, turned wooden knobs with central mother of pearl inlays, a...

Pair of black lacquer ebonized and inlaid wood organic end tables. Also great as nightstands.

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this truly sublime, finest quality, hand made in England by Orme & Son's of Manchester, London & Glasgow Est...

System walking: stick with the function of a musical instrument, the flute. Bamboo wood cane. Wooden and mother-of-pearl knob carved and engraved with E M ...

A pair of pole screens. Attributed to Jennens & Bettridge. Constructed in papier mâché, decorated with gilt arabesques and mother-of-pearl; rising from serpentine swept circula...