Amphora Melon Shell Replica, Hand Cast Plaster Seashell

An Amphora Melon Shell Taken From an Antique Specimen

The amphora melon shell is a smooth, rounded body with a wide, open mouth. It is hand cast in plaster from an antique specimen. It measures 7.8 in W x 4.5 in D x 3.5 in H. Studio White is a clean plaster white, and Fossil is a weathered stone tone.

Product Details

• Material: Hand cast plaster
• Finish: Studio White or Fossil
• Dimensions: 7.8 in W x 4.5 in D x 3.5 in H
• Weight: 2 lb
• Package dimensions: 10 in x 10 in x 10 in
• Production: Made to order in the USA, ready to ship in 2 to 3 weeks
• Note: Hand cast, so appearance may vary from piece to piece
• Product number: HP40580SW (Studio White), HP40580FOS (Fossil)

A Shell Home for a Very Large Sea Snail

This shell was the home of a very large sea snail found in the southwest Pacific. The cast was made from an antique specimen.

Shell collecting was popular in the 19th century. Antique specimens like this one passed from collector to collector.

This antique shell replica keeps the smooth curves of a sea snail shell. A plaster seashell like this one suits a bookshelf or a bathroom ledge. The amphora melon shell holds its shape from any side. The wide mouth marks where the snail's soft body once emerged. Sea snails build their shells from the sea, adding to the opening as they grow.

Bringing Nature Indoors

Long before photography, botanists and naturalists collected samples from around the world to catalog nature. They kept the best examples at home. A amphora melon shell on your shelf echoes that custom. Browse more casts in our Ocean Seashells Beach Nautical collection.

Made to Order

Each piece is cast to order in the USA. Production takes 2 to 3 weeks before it ships. Hand casting means color and surface vary slightly from piece to piece. Choose Studio White or Fossil at checkout.

Placement and Care

Set it on a shelf, console or mantel, on a flat dry surface. Plaster is heavy for its size. Dust it with a soft dry brush and keep it indoors.

About The Conchologist's First Book

In 1839 a textbook titled The Conchologist's First Book appeared under the name of Edgar Allan Poe. He mostly repackaged an existing book, adding a new introduction and rearranging the plates.

The book shows how popular shell collecting had become in the 1800s.

For More Reading from the Web

• Meet the American shell collectors of the 1800s, from Thomas Say to Edgar Allan Poe's borrowed textbook: The Conchologists: Searching for Seashells in 19th Century America - Biodiversity Heritage Library
• Albertus Seba, George Perry and the naturalists who catalogued shells, plants and animals from around the world: Natural Curiosities - The Metropolitan Museum of Art