In-Person Talk

The Great Journey of Mediterranean Precious Coral

Chalice, 18th century  Trapani, Sicily, Italy Precious coral, metal Coral Museum - Liverino Collection

Red coral has been a precious and prized material since the neolithic times.

The Great Journey of Mediterranean Precious Coral

Red coral has been a precious and prized material since the neolithic times.

It was a luxury fashion in jewelry in Antiquity, from Egypt to Greece and Rome, and was even more desirable in India. It traveled from the Mediterranean following a famous Periplus and adorned kings and gods in India, reaching as far as Tibet, China and even Japan. The origin of the material was mysterious, and no one could then identify it for its true nature, it was considered a stone, or a plant, a hybrid called lithophyte. So, a mythical inception was then narrated by the scholars of the times, relating it to the magical powers of a monster, which was once a beautiful human. 

Join our speakers to discover how ancient people associated magical powers with this material, from amuletic to medicinal properties. 

Speakers:
Laure Raibaut, Art Historian, Archeologist and Lecturer at L'ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts
Mathilde Rondouin Berger, Art Historian and Lecturer at L'ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts

Photo:
Chalice, 18th century
Trapani, Sicily, Italy Precious coral, metal
Coral Museum - Liverino Collection