1960.0180 Porringer, view 1
  • 1960.0180 Porringer, view 1
  • Enlarge

  •      

Porringer

  • Category:

    Organic (ivory, horn, etc.)

  • Place of Origin:

  • Date:

    1670-1800

  • Materials:

    Tortoise shell (marine turtle)

  • Museum Object Number:

    1960.0180


  • Complete Details



Object Number

1960.0180

Object Name

Porringer

Category

Organic (ivory, horn, etc.)

Credit Line/Donor

Museum purchase

Date

1670-1800

Materials

Tortoise shell (marine turtle)

Dimensions (inches)

1.6 (H) , 5.7 (L) , 4.1 (Diam)

Dimensions (centimeters)

4.1 (H) , 14.4 (L) , 10.5 (Diam)

Measurement Notes

Length includes handle. Diameter is just the bowl.

Object Description

Web - 03/23/2021

In decorative arts, the term "tortoise shell" is commonly used to describe scutes, or plates, of the shell from Hawksbill, Green, or Loggerhead marine turtles. Turtles once flourished in tropical waters in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, with the Tortugas, the Cayman Islands, and the Mosquito Coast all having large populations before they were fished to near extinction. Early objects made from tortoise shell were an ultra-luxury for elite consumers in Europe and Asia. As a raw trade material, “shell” could be 8 to 10 times more costly than elephant tusk ivory during the 1700s. By the early 1800s, tortoise shell was in wide use for merchant-class fashion accessories such as tea caddies, magnifying lens cases, fans, boxes and vanity sets as well as handles on many elegant tools, but especially for lady’s hair combs. Tortoise shell as an artistic material transitioned from rare and exotic to widely-desirable and internationally-produced, and then back to scarcity within two centuries.

This porringer is made of tortoise shell with visible crease folds showing the ability to reshape this material after heating.