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