Picture if you will a shell, delicate and brittle. Imagine sketching a design with a soft pencil on it’s surface and then gently cutting around the shape with a small saw. You need to be sure that the blade moves cleanly through the shell, with smooth even strokes. Cut too hard or too fast and the shell will shatter and you must begin again. A steady hand is needed for this task.

At Colorado Style Home Furnishings we pride ourselves on our hand crafted techniques and seashell (or mother of pearl) inlay is no exception. Every piece of seashell inlay is individually cut and inlaid by specialist craftspeople.

Above, a selection of shell pieces await final finishing before they can be inlaid into veneer.

The design for the inlay (above) is delicately carved out with a specialist tool. The shell will fit exactly within the areas which have been meticulously created.

The white of the shell pieces (above) contrasts against the unfinished tones of the wood as the shell marquetry is laid in place.

After final finishing and the application of hand painted details, the end result is stunning surfaces enriched with intricate designs.

Read more about Inlay and Craftsmanship at Colorado Style Home Furnishings and see some of these beautiful pieces.

History

The origin of Mother of Pearl inlayed furniture is often assumed to have come from Asia. The earliest evidence dating from China’s Shang Dynasty (ca. 1600-1050 B.C.). Some of the finest examples of this art form came from Korea and China between the 12^th and 18^th centuries.

The technique originated in the Mesopotamian empire. Excavations in the ancient city of Ebla (circa 3200-1600BC) show that mother of pearl inlaid furniture existed from circa 2300BC onwards, in what is now Syria. The Arabic world had long had trade relationships with Asia and it may be that the techniques migrated – although a concurrent evolution of techniques cannot be discounted.