mother of pearl shell

A mother of pearl shell carved and signed by I.B.B., Jan Bernard Barckhuyzen (birthplace unknown 1684-1760 Harderwijk).

Minerva was carved from the front of the shell. She is the goddess of wisdom, art, war and peace. On her is a sphinx. A a symbol if wisdom is the owl that stands besides her. In her right hand she carries a spear and in her left a shield with the head of Medusa. On her right is a rooster that symbolizes militancy. The background is decorated with houses and clouds.

The reverse of the shell shows an engraving of a dancing couple. On the left you see a smoking and dancing couple and on the right a man; in his right hand a violin and a bow, in his left hand a beer glass. In the distance are different houses.

The dancing couple is based on an engraving by Pieter Nolpe (1613-1653).

There are three tiny holes in the shell. Given the fact that these were used as starting point for the sun and a window they were already there before the shell was carved. Most likely these holes were made by tiny sea snails. The shell has two repairs using the original pieces of shell.

dimensions: 9.1 x 8.5 cm.