The Powerhouse acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the ancestral homelands upon which our museums are situated. We respect their Elders, past, present and future and recognise their continuous connection to Country.

No image is publicly available for this object

Due to the age of the Museum's collection, some objects have not been digitised yet. Images may also not be available due to copyright, cultural or privacy reasons.

A pearl shell marked with button discs.

    This object is part of a collection which illustrates how pearl shell was made into pearl buttons in Sydney in the 1930s. The display was given to the Museum by The Pearlbutton Manufacturing Company of Foster Street, Sydney, in 1933.

    Pearl divers in places such as Thursday Island, Broome and Port Darwin harvested the Golden Lip pearl shell, (Pinctada maxima), from which the buttons were made. The shell was shipped to the Sydney factory for production. After cutting the button shaped pieces …

    This object is part of

    E5182 Didactic collection of objects and photographs, illustrating pearl button manufacture, pearl shell / cardboard / paper, made by The Pearl Button Manufacturing Co Ltd, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1933, with pearl shell collected from the sea around northern Australia
    A didactic display illustrating pearl button manufacture
    1933

    Summary

    Object No.

    E5182-2

    Object Statement

    Pearl shell, part of a didactic display to show how pearl shell was made into pearl buttons, pearl shell / cardboard, made by The Pearlbutton Manufacturing Co Ltd, Foster Street, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1933

    Physical Description

    Pearl shell, part of a didactic display to show how pearl shell was made into pearl buttons, pearl shell / cardboard, made by The Pearlbutton Manufacturing Co Ltd, Foster Street, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1933

    A pearl shell with holes cut in its surface where button blanks have been removed. Additional circular indentations have been marked across the surface of the shell in preparation for cutting.

    Short URL

    https://ma.as/228464

    Dimensions

    Height

    195 mm

    Width

    185 mm

    Cite this Object

    Harvard

    A pearl shell marked with button discs. 2021, Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences, accessed 3 February 2023, <https://ma.as/228464>

    Wikipedia

    {{cite web |url=https://ma.as/228464 |title=A pearl shell marked with button discs. |author=Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences |access-date=3 February 2023 |publisher=Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences, Australia}}

    We want to hear from you

    I know more about this object   I have a question about this object   
    Creative Commons Licence

    Text is released under Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives licence