| Found this thread searching for 'mother of pearl.' Great!
As a retailer of high-end, handmade pianos we are at times presented with the opportunity to custom design an instrument together with the manufacturer. In the 18th and 19th centuries mother of pearl was a rare, albeit known, alternative to ivory for covering the white keys. (More common m-o-p usage is cabinet inlay, of course).
As a pianist, I would be very attracted to the tactile qualities, in addition to the potential for striking beauty.
The only legal ivory these days is mammoth tusk (mammoths are not in danger of extinction, apparently). But its great expense is not rewarded with commensurate beauty. So we're stuck with acrylic and calcium/plastic materials originating in the field of dentistry.
Anyone know a mother-of-pearl specialist that might be interested in such a project? All comments welcome.
Steve Metzler
Classical Grands
Seattle |