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wood prints wildlife wood prints nature wood prints animal wood prints beach wood prints oyster wood prints pearl wood prints sun wood prints rain wood prints sea wood prints cloud wood prints motto wood prints rebus wood prints shore wood prints coast wood prints title page wood prints

photographs wildlife photos nature photos animal photos beach photos oyster photos pearl photos sun photos rain photos sea photos cloud photos motto photos rebus photos shore photos coast photos title page photos

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Pearls from oysters. 17th-century artwork showing the origin of pearls from oysters. An oyster, opened to show the pearls within, is at lower right, with the Sun and rain over the sea in the background. Many theories were proposed to explain the formation of pearls. It was not until the early 20th century that it was fully understood that a pearl forms when an oyster secretes layers of nacre to surround an irritant. This artwork is the printer's device from the title page of 'Sphaera mundi' (1635) by Italian Jesuit mathematician and astronomer Giuseppe Biancani (1566-1624). The Latin motto (Gratia Dei Mecum) translates as 'The grace of God be with me'.

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