According to the Ancient Greeks, after Perseus cut off Medusa’s head, he wished to cleanse himself of the act by bathing in the sea. He placed the head on a bed of seaweed, which upon contact was petrified and turned red. Thus is the myth of the origin of coral described.
Coral has been widely integrated into decorative objects since Antiquity, with rose-colored coral being the most highly prized. The red skeletons of these marine organisms were viewed as having protective and medicinal qualities, and were incorporated into amulets, jewelry and textiles. The Romans believed it could detect poisons and diagnose illnesses by changing color, and used it as a talisman for their children. Necklaces of coral were worn by adults and children into the 19th century as a means of protection against the evil eye, natural disasters and other dangers, and was believed to lose its hue as the wearers welfare declined. Coral was also thought to have to ability of detecting poison in food and was therefore used in the handles of cutlery. For this same reason, credenzas were also often mounted with a branch of coral.
In the Renaissance, the Italian towns of Genoa and Trapani became the largest coral production centers and helped to popularize the material through carving. In the 17th century, coral was adopted as a prized material for inlay in jewelry and ecclesiastical and household objects. In a Jacques Linard still life circa 1640, he places a vibrant red coral specimen in the center of the canvas.
Coral continued to be used into the early 20th century. A photo below shows the cutting and polishing of coral in a Trapani workshop circa 1906. It also figured predominantly as a gemstone in jewelry and other objet d’art, particularly during the Art Deco period. A pair of mirrors, circa 1940s, features coral as its main decorative element. Furniture designers in the 1930s and 40s were using materials that were more plain and natural than the previous Art Nouveau movement, but that were nevertheless luxurious, such as rare inlaid woods, straw marquetry, and shagreen. In the present mirrors, small fragments of coral cover the frames and surround meandering bead and glass designs. They serve as fine examples of how a raw materials were used to create new and unusual designs that still maintained an element of restraint and tradition.
In the the Carlton Hobbs collection we have a George IV ebonized center table circa 1825, inlaid with specimen hardstone and marble insets. Interestingly, eight of these circular insets are made of are made up of coral fragments and are placed prominantly around the center. They are the only composite materials amongst the hardstones and their inclusion on the table confirms the percieved position of coral as a precious gem.
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