Shells: Magic and Science –– Minneapolis Institute of Art https://new.artsmia.org/exhibition/shells-magic-and-science
November 23, 2013 – June 29, 2014 | Galleries 315 and 316 | Free Exhibition Shells are common yet precious, abundant yet desirable—among the first things a child instinctively collects. From prehistoric shacks to the courts of Baroque Europe, their translucent texture and fantastical forms have been integrated into everyday objects, decoration, and an incredible variety of art. They are also as central to modern studies of the natural world as the discovery of new lands, their perfection embodying—and ultimately resolving—the dilemma of creation and evolution
Northern Germany Nautilus shell cup, c. 1660-1680 Nautilus shell, silver, parcel-gilt Gift