In pearl production, shells are a residual product, on the inside of the shells is the mother of pearl - a beautiful rainbow-colored interior for the pearl. In this series of jewellery I have worked around the idea of ‘Mottainai’, by using the leftover material from pearl production – the shells, crushed or sometimes intact.

The Edo period was Japan's golden age where art and culture flourished and consumption trends changed with the rising resources. ‘Mottainai’ was a concept that during this period had an influence and moderated Japan's consumer culture. Japan was closed to the outside world (with few exceptions to China and the Netherlands) and therefore self-sufficiency and preservation of resources such as wood, paper, textiles and porcelain were emphasized. Attention to consumption and the use of resources gave rise to the ‘Mottainai’ culture - an environmentally considerate practice in which handmade objects of natural materials were used and recycled in respect of nature and craftsmanship.

The shells are provided by Curator C&: Chitose Ohchi.