Syrian Mother-of-Pearl

Brilliant mother-of-pearl has been used as a decorative material since at least 2500 BC, when an unknown craftsman inlaid flat pieces of the mollusc shell, along with lapis lazuli and other coloured stone in a wooden panel. In more recent times, artisans in the Middle East have been creating the most opulent shimmering effects by inlaying furniture surfaces with intricate mother-of-pearl designs, ranging from complex starbursts to delicate floral arabesques.

The increased European design influence over the 19^th century, lead to a vibrant transformation of inlaid furnishings throughout the Middle Eastern region. As grand European palaces were built and divan-lined rooms gave way to formal European seating arrangements, artisans began to apply traditional mother-of-pearl inlay patterns to adaptations of European furniture styles. Both in England and France, a number of Islamic-inspired residences were erected, including Alexander Dumas’s Château de Monte Cristo. Beginning in the 1870s, fashionable European interiors boasted Arab rooms; the most splendid of these was the Arab Hall created by Lord Leighton at Leighton House in London.

Benefitting from the growing trade with Europe Damascus emerged as a major centre for inlaid furnishings. Over the centuries, Syrians had perfected an intricate inlay technique in which the underlying wood surface is almost entirely encrusted in mother-of pearl ornamentation, creating an elegant shimmering effect. Worked into designs of delicate floral arabesques and geometrics, each mother-of-pearl plaque was set in place, then surrounded and secured with a fine silver or pewter wire. Originally, this technique was used on boxes, small chests and stands. With the increased trade with Europe, Syrians started to apply geometric inlays, which contrast the mother-of-pearl with fruit-wood veneers, to both traditional Islamic and European furnishings. In contrast to the small elegant Islamic-style polygonal tables, the European-influenced furnishings in this style such as sideboards, consoles and tables often reflected the heaviness of the late Victorian taste.

In the last decade, renewed interest has sparked a revival of the art of inlaid mother-of pearl, particularly in Syria, whose craftsmen have been supplying commissions to Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states.