Pair Of Mother-of-Pearl Shells With Golden Metal Edges

Date: ca. Late 19th century a pair of beautiful large mother of pearl shells which have had their edges finished with a gilt metal frieze. The effect is quite luxurious and these seem to be rare. They can be used as storage compartments, soap dishes; they may have been designed as caviar dishes, but that's a guess. The quality of the gold metal finish leads me to believe that these are antique. Condition: very good. No damage. What looks like a large crack in the photo is a ridge in the nacre layer. Small surface cracks as is natural in shells. One of the shells has a small gap between the metal edge and the hull but this was fitted like this (hull having a very irregular shape) and is not a damage. Dimensions: 12 - 13 cm wide, 11 - 12 cm high.

Ref. : 76HQJ1HU