1870 - 1870 – Bonebakker designs showpiece with Nautilus shell
This presentation drawing of a silver-framed nautilus shell is one of the many presentation drawings by As Bonebakker & Son in the Amsterdam archive
Showpieces
In 1870, the Bonebakker workshop designs and makes this showpiece from a nautilus shell. In the 17th century, nautilus shells were popular showpieces; They were often embellished with silver mounts and sometimes fitted with a lid so that they could also be used as drinking cups. That they were still popular in the 19th century is proven by this drawing from the Bonebakker archive of the city of Amsterdam.
Bonebakker Archives
The Bonebakker archives at the RKD (The Netherlands Institute for Art History) cover about 33 metres and are one of the internationally very important design archives in the field of silver and jewellery. The Bonebakker archive covers two centuries of art history and has been kept at the RKD since 2010. It was opened to the public in 2017. The unique 19th- and 20th-century images bear witness to all the areas in which the Bonebakker company has been active: from handmade to industrially manufactured utility silver and from promotional gifts to (royal) jewellery and occasional showpieces, such as a nautilus shell from 1870.
