The Ivory Nautilus

About this work

On a black ground, a golden nautilus hangs as if suspended in water. Behind it trails a long tail of ivory and teal pearls, strung on threads that fall from the top of the frame. The pearls set a soft rhythm while the gold of the shell holds the eye. The black keeps everything quiet, so the light seems to come from the pearls themselves.

Pearls and the nautilus belong together more than it might seem. Both come from the sea, and both are made slowly: a pearl grows in thin coats of nacre, and the nautilus adds one chamber at a time. The curve of the shell is often compared with the golden spiral, built on the ratio 1.618, where each turn widens in the same proportion as the last. Here that idea of patient growth meets a string of pearls.

It suits a dark bedroom or a dressing room with warm light, where the pearls can glow in the evening. Charcoal, navy or deep plum walls help it, and so does a little brass. Pair it with The Zenith Spiral, or hang it with The Infinite Anchor above a dressing table. The file prints sharply to roughly 44 cm on the long edge at 300 dpi.