Decorative shellwork arrangement
Datec 1900
Object number00000645
NameOrnamental arrangement
MediumShells, coral, wood, glass
DimensionsOverall: 700 x 710 x 400 mm
ClassificationsTableware and furnishings
Credit LineANMM Collection
Collections
DescriptionThis late 19th century ornamental arrangement of Australian seashells and corals is housed in a glass and cedar cabinet. Shell collecting was a popular seaside pastime for men, women and children, and provided materials for decorative arts and crafts fashionable during this period.HistoryMany Australian collections of natural specimens from the 19th and early 20th centuries were a result of the developing interest in naturalism, the rise of tourism, and the greater accessibility of seaside destinations due to the growth of the railway. Cabinets of arranged shells, flowers and taxonomy were common middle class drawing room curiosities.
SignificanceDecorative shell work such as this is representative of the art of collecting and classifying, popular in the Victorian and Edwardian eras.
late 19th century