In Asia, mother-of-pearl shells have been historically used for making raden, which is the practice of decorating surfaces with thin pieces of shell. However, the different types of shell are difficult to distinguish with the naked eye. This poster explores the identification of shell type using micro-scale observation and characterization of surface appearance in order to understand the trade routes for shells at the time the artifacts were made and to select methods for conservation treatment of raden.

Go to iiconservation.org to read more and see the poster in the Special Congress Poster Issue of “News in Conservation” Issue 97, August-September 2023, p. 52-55)

You can also see the full poster here: https://issuu.com/nic_iiconservation/docs/2023-aug-sept-nic-congress_pos...