Representations carved from mother-of-pearl from the 17th / 18th century.
After acquiring an 18th century tobacco box with a beautiful and very detailed carved representation of Jesus being led to Herod (for the crucifixion) this art intrigued me. At the time (the golden age) when there was enough money in the Netherlands to spend on art, a number of artists devoted themselves to cutting / carving mother of pearl in order to bring the most beautiful representations to life.
The shells from which the mother of pearl was used came from the seas around Sri Lanka (Ceylon), Malacca (Malaysia), Indonesia (Celebes) and the Persian Gulf.
From about the 17th century onwards, shells were brought to our country in large numbers by the trading ships of the VOC.
In the 17th century they started working the shells. They were cut, stabbed and engraved. Not all shells were suitable for this method of working, mainly the Pteria and Nautilus did well.
Famous artists from this period are the Belquin family. Jean Belquin in particular made a name for himself in Amsterdam as an engraver of mother-of-pearl. He passed the craft on to his sons: Claes and Joannes. The most famous Belquin, Cornelis, also belonged to the family and was a cousin of theirs. Cornelis worked in Amsterdam at the end of the 17th century and elevated the engraving of mother-of-pearl to an art form. Another name from the 18th century is Mr. Barckhuysen.
Until now, this form of art has remained underexposed, but this is not right. In terms of craftsmanship, these artists can measure themselves with the famous painters of this time. See also the photos of this tobacco box and a pill box in which the birth of Jesus is carved.
