Tongan Mother of Pearl Headrest
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A Kali Hahapo headrest with Mother of pearl inlay, Tonga, Placed under the head or the back of a neck whilst sleeping or resting. Carved from a single piece of hardwood without joins. A flared neck rest with mother of pearl inlaid flowers and diamond shapes. The arched legs feature notching to the uppper section. In a light brown patina. Height 18.5 cm, width 45 cm, depth 12.5 cm
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- Mother-Of-Pearl - Mother-of-pearl, technical name "nacre", is the inner layer of a sea shell. The iridescent colours and strength of this material were widely used in the nineteenth century as an inlay in jewellery, furniture, (especially papier mache furniture) and musical instruments.
In the early 1900s it was used to make pearl buttons. Mother-of-pearl is a soft material that is easily cut or engraved.
Nowadays it is a by-product of the oyster, freshwater pearl mussel and abalone industries. - Patination / Patina - In broad terms, patination refers to the exterior surface appearance of the timber, the effect of fading caused by exposure to sunlight and air over the course of a century or more, changing the piece to a soft, mellow colour.
As patina is very difficult to replicate, it is one of the most important guides to determining the age of furniture.
Patina is also the term applied to the bloom or film found on old bronzes due to oxidisation.
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