Syrian mother of pearl furniture carries one of the oldest decorative traditions still practised by hand in the Levant. Thin pieces of natural shell are cut, shaped and set one at a time into a solid wood ground, then filled, levelled and polished until the surface reads as a single plane. The mirrors, octagonal side tables, coffee tables, chests, jewelry boxes, backgammon boards and folding screens in this collection are that one technique applied at different scales.
The work is Syrian in origin, with Damascus at its centre, and the vocabulary is unmistakable: interlocking stars, radiating rosettes, arabesque vine, and the fine chequerboard banding that frames almost every panel. Pieces here are built on beech, walnut and mahogany, with shell set alongside bone, ebony and occasionally abalone. Some are recent work; others are genuinely old, and are described as vintage or antique on their own product pages.
Every piece is one of a kind: when it sells, that exact piece is gone. Most are already made and in stock; a small number are made to order and say so clearly on the page.
How the Inlay Is Actually Made
The shell is the slow part. Mother of pearl is the iridescent inner layer of the shell; it is sliced thin, softened, flattened and cut to shape before any of it touches wood. Each fragment fits a recess cut into the timber, and a densely worked panel may hold several thousand pieces, which is why a single chest can take weeks at the bench. Because shell is natural, the same panel shifts through cream, pink, pale green and grey as you move, and two shells never match exactly: the clearest evidence that the inlay is real shell, not printed transfer or resin. The same slow handwork runs through our Mashrabiya and Egyptian Woven Tapestry.
Choosing Between a Mirror, a Table and a Chest
Mirrors are the most architectural choice and read as wall art as much as function. They range from around 28 in (71 cm) to over 60 in (152 cm) tall, and the larger crested frames carry a carved pediment above the opening. A 60-inch frame needs a wall that can take it: above a console, in an entrance hall, or leaning where the ceiling allows. Side tables are the most flexible entry point; most are octagonal, between 18 and 28 in (46 and 71 cm) high, and inlaid on every visible face, so they work beside a chair, at the end of a sofa or by the bed. Chests and folding screens are the statement pieces, large enough to anchor a room on their own.
Where These Work in a Room
Inlaid furniture is high-contrast and highly patterned, so it wants space around it. One piece in a quiet room reads as a focal point; three competing against a patterned rug read as clutter. They sit naturally against plain plaster, limewash, warm neutrals, unfinished wood and stone, and the shell picks up whatever light falls on it, so a place near a window or one of our Moroccan lamps does more than any styling.
Living With Inlaid Wood
Keep pieces out of prolonged direct sunlight, and away from radiators and air-conditioning outlets, where repeated drying is the main cause of lifted inlay. Clean with a dry or barely damp soft cloth, along the grain: no household sprays, alcohol, silicone polish or abrasives. Wall-mounted pieces need fixings rated for their actual weight, set into masonry or a stud. If you are unsure about a specific piece, talk to us before you order and we will give you its weight and dimensions.