# Two carved shells

- By: Cornelis Bellekin (Amsterdam, ca. –voor)
- Date: c. 1670 - c. 1700
- Medium: mother of pearl
- Classification: sculpture
- Dimensions: height 9 cm x width 8 cm x thickness 1 cm
- Museum: [Rijksmuseum](https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection/object/BK-NM-616--786c79ce30556a71ad7da631bb7feeab)
- Rights: [Public Domain Mark](http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/)
- Picture: https://iiif.micr.io/NqUHV/full/!1920,1080/0/default.jpg
- Who can see it: Adult profiles and older (museums give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the museum's own words)

Bellekin transformed nature into art, producing objects perfectly in keeping with the 17th-century concept of a collection of rarities. VOC ships brought back oyster shells from the Indian Ocean, which Bellekin carved with scenes from Greek mythology in low relief: Perseus on his winged horse rescuing Andromeda, and the nymph Scylla reaching out to the sea god Glaucus.