The Shell : A World of Decoration and Ornament

The intricate beauty of shells has captivated humans since the earliest times. These gifts of nature have been put to an amazing array of uses - sharpened into tools, ground to make medicines, blown to make music. Shells have been worn as amulets to bring fertility, good fortune or protection from the evil eye.

But above all, the beauty of shells has fired the imagination of artists and craftsmen through the ages. Their work forms the heart of this book.