Two carved shells, Cornelis Bellekin (attributed to), c. 1670 - c. 1700
mother of pearl, h 9cm × w 8cm × t 1cm More details
Bellekin transformed nature into art, producing objects perfectly in keeping with the 17th-century concept of a collection of rarities. VOC ships brought back oyster shells from the Indian Ocean, which Bellekin carved with scenes from Greek mythology in low relief: Perseus on his winged horse rescuing Andromeda, and the nymph Scylla reaching out to the sea god Glaucus.
