Pearls in Berlin museum

[CLICLASP]

Hello PG friends;
Everyone here is very well trained about pearls in history, I guess. If not, you can check more about here :

How old is this pearl ? Play again !

Hello Everyone there ! I just collected about a thousand photos in european museums, mostly french ones, to illustrate a jewelry course, and I took some specific picts about pearls (not of excellent quality for interesting, I hope so) ; to illustrate the fantastic Caitlin 's "Pearls in History"...

www.pearl-guide.com

and here :

Back from a London journey, more stories about pearls

Hello PG members, Have a look at this wonderful natural pearl, big, perfect flamme, round, soft surface ; of course everybody there is well trained and know the name of this marvelous pearl ;) and a bonus with an emerald (shape called russian cut in french) more photos in the coming days...

www.pearl-guide.com

Below are 2 photos taken in 2 different Museum ; now are the questions :
First : which photo was taken in Berlin and where from is the other one?
Or to say things in a different way, we can see the way to look at shells may vary from countries

Second question :
which animal are the shells from, and what is it about ?

Third question : do these shells produce pearls ? (if you don't know browse the forum ...)

... play again

 

[Caitlin]

Well, finally a question I can answer! But I will give others a chance first.

 

[AMc]

Oh! Oh! I know I know!
But like Caitlin, I think I'll wait to see what the others have to say lol

I do absolutely adore the decorative carving on the shells, though! Just beautiful! What a treat to see in person- you simply must post more (secretively taken I presume?) photos! Any other pearly treats for us?

 

[CLICLASP]

secretively taken I presume?

Not at all, taking photos is allowed without flashes in all museum where I did.
I even gave them to illustrate the history section of the forum, so they were not secretively taken at all !!
Yes it is very pleasant to see treasures in real, but there are a lot to see in USA too, when do you start a thread on pearls in USA museum ? LOL

 

[AMc]

That is a really good idea CliClasp- I'll see what they've got at the Getty and the Natural History Museum sometime soon! Although, we're not really allowed to take pictures here (or maybe that's just artwork getting exposed to flash-lighting?? I have no idea...)

 

[CLICLASP]

Oh! Oh! I know I know! But like Caitlin, I think I'll wait to see what the others have to say lol

So ??? a Tridacna of course, now what about the remaining questions ?
Who will answer first ?

 

[Hanaleimom]

So ??? a Tridacna of course, now what about the remaining questions ?
Who will answer first ?

I was thinking of that, but too chicken to embarass myself. Yes giant clam can produce pearls, for example, Pearl of Lao Tzu. I was fortunate to see these shells in person on my honeymoon. The hotel sinks were made of these shells.

Here is a very pretty picture of the clam http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/giant-clam/

 

[AMc]

First : which photo was taken in Berlin and where from is the other one?

Alright- this one I was truly clueless about, but I'm going to take a stab at it anyways: The top image is from the Berlin Museum, the Deutsches Historisches Museum, more precisely which houses the Natural History Museum in central Berlin. I've included a picture of the outside of the museum, which is all tinted glass and very modern.

The second shell is from (and this is a complete guess!!) is from the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, UK; the collection spans over 5,000 years of recorded creative history, featuring artifacts from all over the world, including all of Europe, North and South America, Asia and Northern Africa (Egyptian Art, etc), as well as one of the largest collections of Italian Renaissance Art outside of Italy.

So- do I get the prize

 

[CLICLASP]

So I am amazed by such a precise answer !
Yes the first is from Berlin, much damaged but very interesting.
and the second one is from London ; everyone could have found it because I posted here already (I told you to check at the beginning of the thread ... )

https://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/p...ey-more-stories-about-pearls-2.html#post61032

So German museum shows the Tridacna "head" down, and English museum "head" up

Both Tridacna shells coming from the Red Sea, about 700 BC old. They served as cosmetics container.
The "umbo" (hinge of the shell valves) was engraved as a mermaid face.

 

[CLICLASP]

Now about the museum, I checked again and London photos were taken at the British musem, this I am sure because I quoted to avoid mixing museums ; here is the permalink :
https://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/p...ey-more-stories-about-pearls-7.html#post63204

Berlin : I went only at the Pergamonmuseum and that's were all photos have been taken.

http://www.berlin.de/orte/museum/pergamonmuseum/index.en.php

2 wonderful places for ones who love museum... But the ones you mentioned are fantastic too !

 

[CLICLASP]

And of course the Tridacna may produce pearls very rarely, as we have been teached about already

https://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/natural-pearls/4233-my-tridacna-pearls-how-do-you-think.html

This time Hanaleimom won the prize !!

 

[Nora]

I've included a picture of the outside of the museum, which is all tinted glass and very modern.

Designed by I.M. Pei who did the pyramid entrance to the Louvre and many other significant buildings.

Anna, the drawings on the Berlin shell are in the archaic style, fit the 700 BC date as you have said.

 

[CLICLASP]

I allowed myself to put the mermaid head up.

But sorry, there were no indication about the engravings ... Just look and enjoy

 

[CLICLASP]

Anna, the drawings on the Berlin shell are in the archaic style, fit the 700 BC date as you have said.

Yes for sure, I have a very precise way to take pictures to avoid confusion (anyway, nobody's perfect),
here is the legend by itself, that I don't put usually, but prefer to give the indication .
More stories later, keep posted

 

[Nora]

Thanks for the close-ups!
On the second photo; on the right is a winged sphinx, on the left is a running woman.

 

[Nora]

We posted at the same time. Well, almost

 

[AMc]

Nora- I hadn't done that much research, but I.M. Pei is indeed one of the most important modern architects of our time, and everyone would be well served to do a quick search on his most impressive works; thank you for the added information and the enjoyable sight-seeing trip!

CliClasp- I thought I might've nailed it, but alas! Really, I was just doing some Holmes-style detective work through Google lol! It was actually alot of fun, and all of the museums that I ran across (never having been to Europe myself, sadly!!!) looked like fascinating places to visit.

Thank you for the closeups of the Tridacna shell - it's a pretty cool prize and with it brought the thought that like dust all are carried on the wind to inevitable obscurity; for all the power and prestige one may build up over a lifetime imagining that their greatness will leave indelible marks upon humankind, it is the humble painter, the sculptor and the nameless storyteller's works that survive to inspire us...

 

[Caitlin]

Fascinating. I love it when you show pearls and make a game out of it.

 

[CLICLASP]

WHat is your opinion on this delicate earring with a pearl, over 1000 years old?
Would you wear it today?

 

[Bodecia]

I have a pair of these or I should say 2 halves of a whole shell. But mine must be a baby as it is only about 8 inches or so across. Around about the same size as my Abalone Shell. My father collected them when he was working in Western Australia up toward Broome.

I was lucky enough to get these. My other sisters weren't really interested in them. I always loved shells, stones, rocks, even clumps or dirt when I was a toddler. When I came inside I would be frisked for stones, clumps of dirt and other little interesting treasures I had hid in my clothing All were pearls to be back then.

Dawn
eBay Seller ID dawncee333