Herend Giant Clam in Blue - Limited Edition

At the time, the cowrie shell was well-known since it was used as currency in many parts of Asia, Africa and India and in the old Italian language it went by the term "porcellana." Marco Polo's book was a huge best seller by 14th century standards and was widely distributed in Europe and, as result, the word porcellana became synonymous with this intriguing new discovery from China.

How fitting, therefore, that seven centuries later, the Herend manufactory is paying homage to the link between shells and porcelain by immortalizing the world's largest bivalve mollusk. A native of the south pacific and Indian Ocean, the giant clam can grow to be 4 feet long and over 500lbs. Their size is attributed to a steady diet of the sugars and proteins produced by the millions of algae living in the clam's tissue. While Herend's interpretation is not quite that healthy, it does highlight the pearlized surface that first drove Marco Polo's comparison. Below the shiny core is a base of blue fishnet with 24K gold highlights.

8" L X 10.25" W