Featured update on my vintage coral collection

Simply enjoy!

 

And if anyone wants to learn how to distinguish real MOMO coral from dyed bamboo coral - this is the pattern ( on the top bead) you should look for:

 

Beautiful!

 

Ditto!
Those carved pieces are stunning.

 

the ship is some , outside the box , thinking!!!! Nice !

 

Yes the ship is a unique motif- despite them all being Japanese works, the ship is clearly European, same for most of the ship carvings found on internet

 

These are gorgeous!!!!!!

 

What they said! Yum!
Linda

 

The carvers of the ships were probably working from pictures in books or prints on a wall. Either that or they thought European ships were pretty and carved those.

I don't think I've ever seen the proper Momo pattern before.

 

These are all from late 20th century, but as you said, no idea how old that tradition is!

 

There are many early Japanese pictures of Dutch ships. For centuries the Dutch were the only Westerners who were allowed to have a trading post in Japan, on the artificial island of Dejima.
Dejima was constructed for Portuguese traders, but after a falling out between the Portuguese and the Shogun, the Dutch East India Company (VOC) was allowed to settle and trade there. They stayed from 1641-1858.
All foreign trade went through Dejima and the Dutch, and all transport was by Dutch ships.

 

Makes sense. I know about that but didn't think about it as a reason for post-WWII carving. By that point it was tradition.

 

Yes, it was. So are chrysanthemum carvings.

 

Lovely array! How would you describe the pattern on the MOMO? I see concentric rings with angled lines...

 

yeah concentric rings and lines emerging from the center. It has to be as delicate as fingerprints otherwise may not be momo. I think Mediterranean coral has similar pattern but bolder lines. Same momo bead from another angle

 

They are all beautiful. How long have you been collecting vintage coral, @shamster ?

 

My first piece was acquired in December but I only started buying coral regularly in February so I would say one month

 

gotta start somewhere !!

 

Have fun with it!