How to present shellfish

Custom-made displays and bases to present marine objects and shells

Our custom displays and bases for your shells

Example of creation of mixed bases with oak wood bases and steel structures for shells

As an expert in the presentation of objects and works of art , we offer you a range of displays and presentation solutions without leaving your home.

Find all of our standard displays in plexiglass and wood, available for sale online by accessing our online store directly.

Plexiglas and brass display stand (ref: BPA).

Removable arms

Ideal for displaying shells

I buy my displays online

The term "Marine" is both evocative and very broad. It can refer to scientific objects, souvenirs of great sailors, strange creatures that form a very particular bestiary, corals and shells, souvenirs that may have been brought back from vacations. Be careful, this trade is regulated to protect the fauna and flora. They have in common that they always have particular shapes and sizes, most of the time requiring a base adapted in particular to each object to be presented. It happens that we divert second-hand displays, but this remains quite rare.

What are the different bases and creations possible for marine objects?

How can we present marine objects?

How is this a challenge?

These are questions we can answer thanks to our experience in plinth design. In recent years, we've created custom steel plinths, brass supports, uprights mounted on discreet acrylic bases, and created compositions inside antique glass globes.

A glimpse of some of the wonders we've seen in our shop, for creating object bases with a "cabinet of curiosities" feel.

Your shells on bases
custom-made under a glass bell jar

Generally collected for their shape or mother-of-pearl, shells are highly varied and always require a suitable presentation. A stem or simple structure fixed in a plexiglass or painted block remains an effective and quick solution for quick mounting in our shop.

A support platform can be added to secure the presentation.

Custom-made or mixed bases are perfect for this type of creation, for shells that are often light but have irregular shapes.

You can also imagine creating structures to present under old glass globes , available in many sizes in our shop at the Puces de Paris Saint Ouen.

The composition under a globe also allows us to highlight these natural objects, as we did for the Sebban gallery and its collection of painted shells.

Enhance your corals on
custom creations

Just like shells, corals have no standard shape. They are all unique, often requiring custom mounting.

Often fragile, like gorgonians, they can be presented on a wooden base, an acrylic support or with steel structures. They can also be glued to blocks of stone, marble or, as is the case with this gorgonian, glue the coral to an onyx cube.

There is also a range of transparent acrylic displays that are more suitable for shells.

We particularly recommend the BPA displays in Plexi and brass (visible below), and the fully transparent adjustable cradle , made in France.

Wooden bases for unique works of art

A curious marine object par excellence, rostra are like skeletons seemingly taken from mythology, with the strange quality of naturalistic objects. Whether it's the saw shark rostrum, with its characteristic shape, or the twisted narwhal tooth, the rostrum is large.

Our customers often choose a wooden base, weighted or not, with a custom-made steel structure (mixed base).

The metal plate can also be placed on top of the wooden block, which weighs down the support while adding to the aesthetics of the presentation.

Finishing details of a narwhal tooth base: wooden block with ogee, stained and varnished, and polished brass plate with a polished gold finish

Detail of the fixing of a narwhal tooth inserted on an axis in a blackened wooden ogee base

Detail of the fixing of a narwhal tooth on a flat wooden base weighted with a metal plate to counterbalance the weight of the object on the base

Display your seascapes on a custom base:
a guarantee of security.

The combination of a wooden base and a steel structure is often found in shark jaws, where a custom-made base provides discreet and effective support. It is generally difficult to display this type of piece without a suitable structure.

Here we see a black steel stand for a shark jaw, allowing you to appreciate all the rows of shark teeth, but also a base for a crocodile skull with a wooden block weighted with a steel plate. This is made possible by our mixed plinth service.

The marine bestiary on custom-made bases

Among the many marine creatures, those that remind us of the world of Jules Verne will have in common forms almost taken from the imagination, from the world of dreams and wonder.

Related to objects of curiosity, sculptures or real marine relics are often a feast for the eyes.

It could be, as in these illustrated examples, an ammonite, a horseshoe crab, or even a sculpture of an octopus or a squid like this work by Marc Roca. The two supports presented here are made of still raw steel.

The most "common" remains the turtle shell, which must also be old.

Indeed, like corals or other materials from living things, its trade is regulated.

Two turtle shells seen from behind. The base fits the shape discreetly and securely.

Example of a fossilized ammonite cut in half. It is presented on black onyx bases with brass uprights.

Your base navigation instruments and objects
accurately

Whether submerged objects or navigational instruments, marine objects can encompass all sorts of creations. A mixed base on a wooden base works very well with an amphora bearing the marks of its underwater years; a boat will most often require a steel support.

For a miniature reproduction of a famous ship, a Plexiglas cover will enhance the presentation, like this one made for the Delalande gallery . This professional client has made marine objects one of his specialties. This type of model often requires a transparent acrylic case to protect from dust.

Mounting pocket globes often presents a challenge, as they must be presented open, which is only possible with a custom-made stand.

Here are two examples for each material, a display stand in black painted steel, and a support in patinated brass.

Your sea urchins backlit under a glass bell jar
the excellence of the custom base

We have created a unique creation for a collection of sea urchins.
The client wanted to combine custom-made metal structures, LED backlighting and the use of an old glass bell jar.
The glass globe serves a dual purpose here, highlighting the composition and protecting it from dust while providing an aesthetic result.
Here you see two variants, one with a Restoration period globe with an inlaid base, the other with a slightly later (Napoleon III) base in blackened pear wood. Both go well with these objects fixed on brass structures with LED rods.
With the help of a plinth-making partner, we created assemblies for lighting globes with brass rods. A great example of showcasing a collection!