Shellcraft

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A sailor's valentine from circa 1870 Sailors valetine.JPG
A sailor's valentine from circa 1870

Shellcraft, also known as shell craft, is the craft of making decorative objects, or of decorating surfaces, using seashells. The craft includes the design and creation of small items such as shell jewelry and figurines made from shells; middle-sized objects such as boxes and mirror frames covered in shells; sailor's valentines; [1] and larger constructions including mosaics and shell grottos.

Shellcraft is sometimes simply a folk art which is carried out by amateurs, however, in some parts of the world, including the Philippines, it is a business.

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References

  1. Fondas, John. Sailors' Valentines, Rizzoli International Publications, 2002

Further reading