Typical Nativity Scene Mother of Pearl Carving, Bethlehem. Pair.

Mother-of-pearl carving is a traditional handicraft in the Holy Land and is said to have been brought to Bethlehem by Franciscan friars from Italy in the 15th century, and to Jerusalem

The majority of shells were crafted by Arab workers and many of the best carvers were women. In 1727, Richard Pococke noted the employment of women when he travelled there. Mother-of-pearl objects were the most important and desirable souvenirs for Christians visiting the popular pilgrimage sites. The Hermitage owns a large collection of crosses, icons and rosaries which were presented to the Imperial family by rich and important people on their return from the Pilgrimage. The Vatican also holds a superb collection of mother-of-pearl objects from the Holy Land, date the 19th, 19th and 20th centuries.

The first exhibition in the west of mother-of-pearl artifacts from Palestine was at the World Fair in NY in 1852. Two brothers, Giries and Ibrahim Mansur, exhibited their work and were a great success.

Previously, most of the oysters came from the Red Sea before transitioning to supply from other regions. Australia is now the primary source of South Sea oysters (Pinctada maxima) while other shell types are sourced from California, New Zealand and Brazil.

This pair is made from Australian oysters. They are difficult to date but are carved sometime in the 1900s. The shells feature a typical nativity scene and measure 15cm x 15cm and 15cm x 14.5cm respectively. The shells would have been much larger but have been polished back to pure mother-of-pearl.

A wonderful piece of history and a unique gift for any special occasion.

Please get in touch if you have any questions about the piece. It will be a pleasure to assist. Please also check out the other pieces in the store.

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Background: We are avid collectors across a range of interests but with a particular focus on high quality pieces featuring mother-of-pearl. We hope you enjoy the pieces as much as we have enjoyed the process of finding them over the years.

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