Frame Focus on Jepara

Frame Focus on Jepara

J.R. Mooney Galleries of Fine Art has many incredible frame choices, one example being the Jepara collection from Larson-Juhl. These exquisite frames are handcrafted from the shell of the Placuna placenta or the windowpane oyster, a mollusk that is a renewable resource harvested from the Java Sea and Indian Ocean for its transparent and luminous shells.  

The collection’s namesake, Jepara is a small Indonesian town also known for its teak furniture industry, which contributes to its prosperity.  Capiz is also another name for the shell and the geographical region on the northern coast of the Philippines, where the mollusk is also bounteous. The shell’s surface has a sheen like mother of pearl, with iridescent effects that are amplified by the light, thereby contributing to its desirability to be utilized in a wide range of decorative applications in jewelry, house wares and interior embellishments.   

Due to their stability and cost effectiveness compared to traditional glass, they are commonly used for windows in Southeast Asia.  The strength of the shell has even been studied by graduate researchers at MIT, which will use their findings to possibility develop synthetic materials to be used in creating transparent armor, like facial protective masks and bullet proof windows.  Its potential is completely boundless, with many endless creative possibilities.  

The frame moulding has the shell inlaid over it, and comes in varying widths.  A minimalistic design with a traditional twist, alone or paired with another frame, this is an excellent framing choice that is an art piece on its own.

©Katherine Shevchenko, 

Art Consultant J.R. Mooney Galleries, Boerne, TX

Photo of harvested Capiz shell 

"Capizshell" by Johnnyflex - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Capizshell.jpg#/media/File:Capizshell.jpg

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Sources:

For more Information on the Jepara collection Larson Juhl website:

 http://www.larsonjuhl.com/p-4493-398810.aspx?itemid=8218&CatId=439

To see framing inspiration and ideas for the Jepara moulding check out the  Larson Juhl Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.712705305455177.1073741857.128531783872535&type=3

To read up further on the findings at MIT:

 http://newsoffice.mit.edu/2014/tough-nails-yet-clear-enough-read-through