Since man's emergence on this world, he has known how to use shells to make useful and interesting things. For example, people in ancient times converted conches and clams into cooking utensils and hunting weapons. Fishermen made fishhooks from cone-shaped shells. Small, colored shells were used for ornaments. Seashells discovered among other ancient human-owned relics can be taken as precious information, evidence to infer a people's mode of living in ancient times.
Studying the distribution of old shells can be a reliable way for tracing the commercial routes of olden times. In ancient China, Egypt, India, Africa, Southeast Asia, America, and the Pacific islands, people gave their seashells an economic status. Chinese characters such as mao (trade), tsai (wealth), huo (commodities), tai (Ioan) and kou (buy) all include the radical pei (shell). From the Hsia Dynasty (2205-1782 B.C.) for ward for more than 3,500 years the Chinese people used seashell money for trading. Although the Chin Dynasty abolished the use of seashells as currency, in the Early Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D. 24) the people once again used shells as money. It is recorded that even as late as the Yuan Dynasty 0277-1367), the people of Yunnan Province were still using shell-money.
The shell-bearing mollusks include gastropods, such as snails; pelecypods, such as clams and scallops; cephalopods, such as nautili; and scaphopods, such as cone shells. Of course, some shells have both marine and terrestial forms. Snails, for example, appear in dark, damp areas; some live in trees. Whereas lakeshores, riversides, and surfaces of plants are the habitats of freshwater shells, marine shells concentrate in beach sands, on the' coral reefs, and among the seaweeds.
"Well...we were just singing an old rock tune, and he told us to 'clam up". (File photo)
For gathering seashells, the best times would be on the first or the 15th day of each Moon, as the tide rises or ebbs. Live sea creatures usually have more flawless shells and brighter colors. The tools for collecting seashells along the beach include a small bucket, a screw driver, spade, and tweezers. It is necessary to dive for shells in offshore areas. Deep water vessels are needed to snare some of the beautiful deep-sea species.
When processing shells, the dead ones should be washed in a diluted colorant lotion. However, collected live shells can be made into specimens through either a soaking or drying method. In the former, the gathered shells are soaked in 70 percent concentrated alcohol or 10 percent concentrated formalin. To make the head, feet, or the soft body emerge from the calcium carbonate mantle, put the live shell in a container of seawater. When the creature starts to emerge, pour magnesium sulphate solution and peppermint solution slowly into the container. After the animal is anesthetized, soak the shell in alcohol or formalin.
Processing live shells through the drying method is complicated. Usually, a bright colored shell specimen must be made from a live seashell. Most of the dead shells found on the beach lack luster. In order to keep their natural bright colors, seashells must not be cooked in boiling water. Put them in a bigger container (a fish globe will be the best) and pour warm water into it. When the bivalves open their shells, use a blade to cut through the hinge fastening and wash the shells with diluted hydrochloric acid. As for cone-shaped shells, it is necessary to pull the flesh out slowly when it begins to decay.
The surface of a shell often has many adherent substances. Use a solution of hydrochloric 'acid to wash them off. Some borax, soda, or hydrogen peroxide will maintain the luster of the shells.
Then, take out the soaked shells and wash them with water, soap, and a sponge. Keep the cleaned shells out of the sun and away from humid areas so that the original colors will be maintained. If the shells are not to be dyed or painted later, apply some baby oil or polish to keep the dust off.
Shell bracelets- Unfortunately, no longer the coin of the realm. (File photo)
Each of the processed shells should then be identified with a label indicating where and when it was picked up, and its scientific name. Like collections of stamps and coins, a shell collection can be expanded through variety exchanges with other shell lovers. Such seashell collections please the mind and delight the spirit, enrich one's knowledge of nature, and even make some rich.
The ancients of West Asia rubbed abalone and mother-of-pearl smooth and flat, and cut them into fragments shaped like flowers, birds, and grass. They inlaid the pieces into lacquerware, and wooden or metal articles, often forming mosaic designs. The Chinese call it lotien. The art was introduced to China through India and Thailand. Following the Tang Dynasty, this artistic handicraft traveled to Japan and Korea. Today, in Taiwan, Lotien has become a rare art. But one factory in Taoyuan, in northern Taiwan, continues to manufacture quality furniture with lotien designs.
From Africa to Asia, from India to Iceland, it has been fashionable to make bright and beautiful seashells into ornamental items. African and Hawaiian girls wear headbands, belts, bracelets, and anklets made of seashells. The American Indians wore seashell earrings and neck laces. Since American Indian styles for ornamental items are popular these days, the small shells found along seashores or riversides have become a favorite raw material. Most processed shells produced in Taiwan are small and possess natural colors or stripes. Species include the tusk shell, cone shell, pen shell, miter shell with white stripes, sunrise tellin shell, purpura shell, Venus shell, and cone shell with spots.
To match favored fashion colors of the year, processed shells can be died or painted, colored with golden or silver powder or, through electroplating, become shining ornamental objects.
Seashell carving is another special skill. Most of the experts come from the beach area at Putzu in Chiayi County, southern Taiwan. However, a portion of their raw materials must be imported from Japan and the Philippines. When making a carved seashell ornament, artisans now use carving machines to shape the design. If the design is complicated, the outline must first be drawn on the shell. Foreigners particularly seem to favor shells with carved Chinese characters such as fu (happiness), lu (wealth), shou (longevity), and hsi (Joyfulness). Earrings and pendants made of tiger cowries are also favorites with foreign buyers.
Taiwan, straddled by steep ridges, is also girdled with sandy seashores; when the ocean waves roll back offshore, they leave behind millions of gifts for dreamers, and for those who wrest utilitarian livings from the sea.
"E.T. who?"-A bevy of visitors from anyone's favorite planet. (File photo)
Long-beached shells, eroded by seawater, may not appeal to the collector, but are ideal materials for button making. Such buttons can be made both by hand and machines. If by hand, the shells are first inserted into a clay or greasy mud slab, concave side down ward. The slab is put on a board, and an electric drill is utilized to pierce two holes in each shell segment at 0.5 cm apart. The sharp edges of the shells are then rubbed smooth. If button-making is totally accomplished by machine, abalone shells, top shells, and turban shells will be the raw materials. The segments are cut and pressed into a flat shape, and the two holes made by machine.
Seashells as small as grains of rice found at Penghu, Taitung, and Kaohsiung - are used to "paint" shell pictures. They can be arranged to depict mountain and water scenes, plus any number of objects-pine trees, cranes, deer, bamboo trees, flowers, and birds. Making shell paintings requires special patience. Naturally, shells with beautiful colors and shapes are the items of choice.
Leaves and branches in a shell painting can also be made from sea fans, the spines of sea urchins, clams, the fibers of palm tree leaves, cone strobiles, and vine fibers. The "canvas" for a shell painting can be wood, flannel, or even paper as long as the surface is flat and even. When making such a painting, wash and dry the shells first, then stick them to a pre-drawn design on the backing.
Craftsman at work - Shaping and carving the shells provides other opportunities. (File photo)
Many of the unique and beautiful ornamental shell articles displayed in American stores are imported from Taiwan. The Haichen Co. at Jenteh, Tainan County, is a well-known manufacturer of shell paintings, jewel boxes, ash-trays, and figurines. Lu Hai-chen, who is in charge of the operation, says that white clams are the choice materials for making dog heads; cerith shells make fine frog legs; ark shells are shaped just right for making animal bodies; clams shaped like the moon or the sun are the best materials for small lamp shades; pen shells provide beaks for birds; and sunrise tellin shells can become colorful dresses for dolls.
Shell flowers made from scallops, clams, red-blood ark shells, and various other small shells can be works of art. But other materials are also used to make the flowers, including small beans or seeds, round stones, fine wire, cloth, a thin, soft paper, and cotton-and glue, small tweezers, and bottle caps. To make a flower put five to seven shells of the same size into a bottle cap, arranging them in the shape of a flower. Use the tweezers to pick up small beans or seeds and place them in the center of the flower as pistils. The flower stalk is made by wrapping thin, soft paper or cloth around a piece of fine wire.
On a larger scale, big sea univalves can be used as flower pots for Chinese evergreens, or become suspended flower pots when combined with macrame. Such ornaments will definitely beautify a living room or a balcony. -By Wang Sheng-chang, "The Woman "/Translated by Belly Wang
Shells on their way to new shores. (File photo)