ZbR
Member
Tortoiseshell was quite widely used as a finishing material in 18thC Europe. Thin, 1 to 2mm, plates of tortoiseshell were placed on coloured background. I restored several artifacts decorated with this technique where some parts of tortoiseshell were missing. Since processing of tortoiseshell is nowadays strictly prohibited under CITES regulations I had to invent some substitutes and I used tinted epoxy resin to mimic characteristic colour and mottled pattern. Some time ago I decided to make pens decorated with this faux tortoiseshell technique as Christmas gifts for my four friends. All four pens have the same spindle shape and inner construction, they differ in background colour on which tortoiseshell finish was applied. The background colours are red, yellow/gold, green and blue. The first three are typical 18thC colours for tortoiseshell, I have never seen blue but I choose it because of some meaning of it for the pen recipient (other colours were also meaningful). I attach pictures of red and green pens associated with pictures of 18thC French clocks decoration, yellow/gold pen is presented with a piece of an old original tortoiseshell.
