Mother of pearl veneered stationery box in diamond harlequin pattern throughout. Domed top with iridescent shell segments. Interior fitted with paper-lined compartments and burgundy velvet lid lining. Base decorated with hand-painted oak leaf and acorn motif in black on silver ground. Brass hinges and working lock with escutcheon. English, circa 1840 height: 4.5 in. (11 cm.) width: 7 in. (18 cm.) depth: 3 in. (8 cm.) * Mother of Pearl ..was mainly inlaid into the shell in decorative designs. The first step to its use as a material in its own right was made at around 1800, when a “harlequin” design was developed using diamonds of tortoiseshell and mother of pearl. Very few boxes were covered solely in mother of pearl. This is probably because the aesthetic quality, which depended purely o
