All Dressed Up
May 2007
The technique of inlaying mother-of-pearl dates back more than 800 years, when it was used to |  |
THEN: Doris Duke’s secretary desk from Goa, c. 1800, | NOW: Throne-back chair, Syria, mother-of-pearl inlay. |
When it came to creating a glamorous and luxurious ambiance, the late tobacco heiress Doris Duke was second to none; she chose an entire bedroom set and accessories in glowing mother-of-pearl for Rough Point, her summer “cottage” in Newport, Rhode Island. According to the Newport Restoration Foundation’s curatorial staff, the set was made in Vienna around 1820, with the exception of the impressive secretary desk, which was made in Goa, a Portuguese colony in western India, circa 1800. Duke bought the mother-of-pearl furniture suite at Parke-Bernet Galleries in New York in April 1966 for $18,500.
Duke may have been ahead of her time in her taste for exotic decor, but consumers today can acquire fine examples of mother-of-pearl furniture and objets d’art mainly through antiques dealers and occasionally through auction houses. Contemporary pieces made in Syria and India have become available at upscale retail stores.
According to Julthusana Byachrananda in Thai Mother-of-Pearl Inlay (Thames & Hudson, 2007), the fine quality of these intricate designs is due to a combination of creative ideas and highly skilled craftsmen working in tandem with artists. Each piece took a great deal of time to produce. These factors, plus rarity, account for the collectible value of mother-of-pearl masterpieces and the exorbitant prices they garner in today’s market.
In addition, the rarity of the material itself means high prices for restoration, as mother-of-pearl is fragile and repair requires specialized skills. “Obtaining the precious shell material today is very difficult,” says Eli Rios, founder of ECR Conservation and Restoration Inc. in New York. “Not only is the material costly to come by, but the workmanship is expensive, yet customers are willing to pay the price to restore a work of incredible beauty.” Rios, who teaches restoration techniques in New York University’s appraisal study program, is currently working on restoring and replacing missing mother-of-pearl in an octagonal Moroccan side table inlaid in a triangular design and a teak chest with very large mother-of-pearl inserts. “The material is so rare that resources are limited. In addition to importing mother-of-pearl from Jamaica, I also salvage it from the rare piece of not-in-mint-condition furniture I find in flea markets.”
“People are attracted to mother-of-pearl for its rich heritage, its link to the past and its irreplaceable quality,” says Alice Papp, co-director of Florian Papp in New York. Tables produced by lacquer artists in Japan specifically for the export market in Paris and London were much in demand and appreciated for their “exotic” decorative qualities. On the floor of Papp’s shop is a spectacular English Victorian papier-mâché example, circa 1845, with a richly decorated trestle base table embellished with gilding and polychrome inlaid mother-of-pearl. The rectangular top is inlaid with flowers and naturalistic shapes ($27,000).
“It’s rare to find the Old World handiwork of mother-of-pearl, never to be executed again,” explains David Einalhory, owner of D&D Antiques Gallery in New York. He notes that chinoiserie items are in particular demand. D&D recently sold a mint-condition late 19th-century tripod English tilt-top table with superb mother-of-pearl inlay on black lacquer depicting a teahouse scene for $16,900.
A rare George II mahogany tripod tea table set on ball-and-claw feet attributed to Frederick Hintz, circa 1745, is for sale at M.S. Rau Antiques in New Orleans for $64,500. Considered to be the height of English furniture making, it features brass marquetry and mother-of-pearl in a tilting scalloped top delicately inlaid with budding flowers and splayed leaves. And Maison Gerard has a fine rosewood two-door cabinet with exotic mother-of-pearl and ebony inlays, circa 1940, by French cabinetmaker Jules Leleu (1883–1961) that demonstrates his collaboration with the inlay artist André Messager ($65,000).
Teatime in an exotic style is represented by a French tole tray (24" high x 31" wide), circa 1840,
 |  |
THEN: Jules Leleu, two-door cabinet, | NOW: Stephanie Odegard, reclaimed rosewood panels with mother-of-pearl inlay, 2000. |
its pictorial design,” says owner Sanford Suchow.
Mother-of-pearl items on a smaller scale, but highly sought-after, include several unique little objects by Line Vautrin (1913– 97), a French designer noted for her use of exotic materials. At Phillips de Pury & Co. in New York in December 2005, three small Vautrin mother-of-pearl incised boxes with interesting designs and sayings sold from $4,800 to $6,600.
Boxes with mother-of-pearl decoration were luxury items in the Victorian era. One can only imagine the elegant woman who must have owned the stunning Chinese rosewood travel makeup chest, circa 1880 (9" x 12" x 8"), currently offered by Agostino Antiques in New York ($2,000). Inlaid with a graceful design of flowers, leaves and vines, it features a mirror on an easel that folds down into the box. “Decorative boxes were also popular to hold important documents or letters,” notes owner Sal Trupiano.
Contemporary mother-of-pearl works available for upscale decors include a collection of inlaid trays and wall panels by rug designer Stephanie Odegard, owner of Odegard Inc. in New York. After discovering antique mother-of-pearl art objects during her travels, Odegard set out to reinterpret and adapt this ancient technique. The Puma Metok tray (32" x 32"), part of Odegard’s Rosewood Collection, is an adaptation of her original Puma Metok rug ($1,850). “All pieces are hand-carved and hand-cut mother-of pearl to fit the design elements,” says the artist. “My inspiration comes from old Indian art. I use the same motifs in my carpet designs.” Her inlaid mother-of-pearl rosewood panels for wall decor or for use as coffee table tops also incorporate rug-derived designs ($2,500–$4,000).
At ABC Carpet & Home in New York, mother-of-pearl is a young-shopper trend, and advanced collectors select highly decorative pieces to express their individuality. One stunning throne-back chair that echoes distant lands, handmade in Syria, features ornate mother-of-pearl inlay work with the apron repeating the scroll and floral motifs ($2,495).
However, says Einalhory, nothing can top the originals. “While contemporary mother-of-pearl pieces may capture the attention of consumers, they in no way can compete in terms of quality and beauty with the ancient works of art.”
Polly Guérin, a former adjunct assistant professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, covers antiques and design for Art & Antiques.FOR MORE INFORMATION
►ABC Carpet & Home
New York
212.473.3000
www.abchome.com
►Agostino Antiques
New York
212.988.4821
www.agostinoantiques.com
►D&D Antiques Gallery
New York
212.319.9323
►ECR Antique Conservation & Restoration Inc.
New York
2l2.643.0388
www.ecrios.com
►Florian Papp
New York
212.288.6770
www.florianpapp.com
►Newport Restoration Foundation
Newport, R.I.
401.849.7300
www.newportrestoration.org
►Maison Gerard
New York
212.674.7611
www.maisongerard.com
►Odegard Inc.
New York
212.545.0069
►Phillips de Pury & Co.
New York
212.940.1200
www.phillipsdepury.com
►M.S. Rau Antiques
New Orleans
504.523.5660
www.rauantiques.com
►Suchow & Seigel Antiques
New York
212.888.3489
►Thai Mother-of-Pearl Inlay
by Julthusana Byachrananda
(Thames & Hudson, 2001), $30.