|
|
|
Jewelry inlayed items |
|
jewelry inlayed items,
|
Jewelry inlayed itemsJewelry inlayed items Some of the foregoing information will be available to you only with at least 2-1/2 times magnification. Use a small hand lens. Jewelry inlayed itemsJewelry inlayed items The history of Cypraea valentia and the whereabouts of other specimens in collections may not be familiar to many readers. In 1811 George Perry illustrated and described the first known example in his Conchology (pl. 23 fig. 2). "This elegant shell," he said, "which is very rare, and hitherto a non-descript, was obtained from Amboyna by Lord Valentia." Thirty-four years later, however, Lovell Reeve said of the same shell: "The only record we have of this shell's history is, that it was in 'Old Humphrey's' collection under the name of 'The Brindled Cowry of the Persian Gulf'" (Conchologia Iconica Vol. 3, Cypraea pl. 6 fig. 20, Nov. 1845). Evidently neither Perry nor George Humphrey had any accurate knowledge of its provenance and their locality information must be disregarded. The original specimen is now in the British Museum (Natural History) (ex W. J. Broderip collection) and the same institution acquired another in 1866 when it bought Hugh Cuming's collection. Miss Jane Saul, the nineteenth-century cowry specialist, also had one and this is now in the Cambridge University Museum of Zoology. Frans van Heukelom acquired one in 1858 and it is now in the Zoological Museum, Amsterdam. None of these shells was localized and it was not until 1882 that a localized one was recorded: this was supposed to have come from Warrior Reef, Torres Strait, off the New Guinea coast. A Mr. Hargraves had obtained it from the captain of a pearling vessel (J. Allan, 1956, Cowry Shells of World Seas, p. 110); and Dr. J. C. Cox, a well-known Sydney conchologist bought it from Hargraves about 1881. In 1917 Messrs. Sowerby & Fulton, the London shell dealers, sold it to Philippe Dautzenberg, on behalf of Cox, for 75 pounds and it is now in the Brussels Natural History Museum. On two or three occasions during the last century Cypraea valentia was auctioned publicly: van Heukelom bought his at the sale of T. G. van Lidth de Jeude's collection in 1858 but the selling price is unknown; one owned by John Dennison, whose collection was auctioned in 1865, was sold to the dealer Bryce M. Wright for 40 pounds (but he paid 42 pounds for Dennison's Cypraea gutatta Gmelin). Its present commercial value is now very much higher as Mr. Clover would ruefully admit and should another come on the market it would probably make a world-record price for any shell. Now that the Prince Cowry has been found again the list of long-lost rarities has been reduced by one; but that one-headed the list for a very long time. For allowing me to publish this note and for providing the illustrations, I am indebted to Mr. Clover. Jewelry inlayed items jewelry inlayed items,jewlery,fashion handwoven accessories,handmade gifts leis lei,philippines shells wood jewelry,fashion luhuanus,philippines shells basket case,philippines products rosary romblon,philippines products seashell jewels,jewelry inlayed items
More Information and Links About jewelry inlayed items
|
|
Updated June 3, 2004 |
|
