{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O78504"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O78504/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AM9195/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AM9195/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AM9195","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AM9194","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AM9193","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AM9192","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AM9191","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017JU1109","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KN4075","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O78504/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O78504","accessionNumber":"M.245-1924","objectType":"Casket","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"<b>Object Type</b><br>Mother of pearl came from <i>Turbo marmoratus</i>, a marine snail from the West Pacific. The goods were often made in India, their gilt mounts being added when they arrived in Europe.<br><br><b>Ownership & Use</b><br>Exotic shells, either in their natural state or worked by a craftsman, were often found in the 'cabinets of curiosities' that contained the small treasures of a princely collection.  From about 1530 vessels made from mother-of-pearl also ranked highly in the hierarchy of the royal 'jewel house'. The courts of Francis I of France (reigned 1515-1547) and Henry VIII of England demonstrated a passion for goods from 'the Indies', and mother-of-pearl objects featured frequently in New Year gift exchanges. <br><br>In the early 16th century mother-of-pearl was unusual outside court circles. By the mid-17th century, however, it had become a regular item of trade from East Asia and was more common down the social scale. Mother-of-pearl was favoured for display ewers and basins, but also for accessories such as caskets, spoons and sweetmeat boxes.  This casket may have been used for dessert, as the exotic sheen of the shell would have set off the colours of the sweetmeats.<br><br><b>Design & Designing</b><br>The silver-gilt cover is decorated with a vase and a swirling plant supporting four flowers. The mother-of-pearl panels are pinned at the lower end to an external shell disc, centring inside on a small disc.","physicalDescription":"","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Mother-of-pearl shell plaques, set in a silver-gilt foot, with a silver-gilt cover","categories":[{"text":"Containers","id":"THES48972"},{"text":"Food vessels & Tableware","id":"THES48952"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"MET","id":"THES48599"},"images":["2006AM9195","2006AM9194","2006AM9193","2006AM9192","2006AM9191","2017JU1109","2017KN4075"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"58D","id":"THES49234"},"free":"","case":"CA1","shelf":"","box":"16"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Casket","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"England","id":"x28826"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"The gilded silver mounts"},{"place":{"text":"Gujarat","id":"x29825"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":"The mother-of-pearl bowl"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1600","earliest":"1595-01-01","latest":"1604-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"8.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Diameter","value":"12.9","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"top","note":""},{"dimension":"Diameter","value":"7.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"foot","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'R'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"Made in England by an unidentified maker with the mark 'R'","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Bowl of mother-of-pearl (the shell of the marine snail <i>turbo marmoratus</i>) converted to a casket","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"<u>Jackson's Silver &amp; Gold Marks of England, Scotland &amp; Ireland</u>, ed. by Ian Pickford. 3rd edn (revised). Woodbridge: Antique Collectors' Club, 1989. ISBN 0907462634"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"British Galleries:\nLUXURY IMPORTED MATERIALS<br>\nAristocrats and wealthy merchants used decorative and expensive tableware to demonstrate their wealth and social status to guests. Splendid rarities, such as the pieces here, created lavish settings for a dessert of wine and sweetmeats. The weight and high quality of the silver mounts indicated the prestige associated with imported Chinese porcelain and other  exotic materials.","date":{"text":"27/03/2003","earliest":"2003-03-27","latest":"2003-03-27"}},{"text":"Treasures of the Royal Courts: Tudors, Stuarts and the Russian Tsars label text: \r\n\r\nCasket\r\nAbout 1600\r\n\r\nAristocrats and wealthy merchants used exotic tableware to show off their social status and wealth. Mother-of-pearl came from Turbo marmoratus, a marine snail from the West Pacific. Exotic imports\r\nfrom the Indies were much sought after at the early Tudor court, reflecting Renaissance taste for combining natural wonders with exquisite craftsmanship.\r\n\r\nLondon\r\nMother-of-pearl and gilded silver\r\nV&A M.245-1924","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null}}],"partNumbers":["M.245-1924"],"accessionNumberNum":"245","accessionNumberPrefix":"M","accessionYear":1924,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2019LN1774","2019LR1154","2019LP4299","2019LV5625"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-12","recordCreationDate":"2003-03-27","availableToBook":false}}