The  skilled application of mother of pearl onto sword scabbards, hilts, displays and other objects are made by a subcontractor who is specialized in this particular ability.

On this (very long) page we are elaborating the procedures of this exclusive art.

Shells are of course required for the application, it can be river or sea shells depending on the desired design or effect.

The best and most beautiful parts of the shells are cut out in strips.

The rest is discarded and littered

These strips are then further cut to shape or even given the desired form by filing them. This procedure allows a multitude of designs and choices to assemble different sketches for different customers or even diverse objects that will be decked with the little pieces.

An example of what can be done is shown on the left, a tray and a cup.

Then here below, a few items that are more interesting for us: a display stand and a grip.

Now, to fill the gaps between the various applied bits of mother of pearl, a resin is smeared onto the prepared objects.

The color can alter according to the wanted effect. Used here is the standard blue colored resin.

After the object has been covered with the resin, it will be let to dry.

When it is dried up, it will be polished. To give it a nice shiny look and also to protect it, a layer of varnish is applied on the item to attain a nice glossy surface.

Before and after.

There exists also a variation to decorate objects with mother of pearl. It consists of covering the entire surface of the area to ornate, to fill the gaps with a white colored resin mixed with additional mother of pearl powder, and after the cleaning and polishing to blacken the surface until the final drawing is finished. The finishing consists again in varnishing the product for a shiny look.

Shells are therefore broken into bigger pieces, yet small enough to allow a nice covering of the needed parts

When covered with parts of shells, the white resin is smeared over. After they are dry they are cleaned and polished until ready for the next stage.

The desired drawing is applied and the unwanted appearing surface is blackened until the desired sketch is ready.

It is then time to apply a layer of varnish.

Finally, find below a few examples of what these craftsmen have to offer.