August 15, 2026, 11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. French
August 15, 2026, 2:00 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. German
Conservator Ulli Freyer demonstrates the use of this material, which was popular during the Baroque period.
Tortoiseshell is the name given to the horn-like material found on the shells of sea turtles. European artifacts feature tortoiseshell from three species of sea turtles. This valuable and exclusive material enjoyed great popularity, particularly during the Baroque era, and was used to craft many exquisite objects.
Since 1975, tortoiseshell has been protected in Switzerland under the Washington Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. This means that it may not be traded as a raw material, a semi-finished material, or a finished decorative art object. Consequently, the crafting of tortoiseshell came to an end 50 years ago. With the ban, a great deal of knowledge about this material was lost, as the processing techniques were documented only to a very limited extent.
As a restorer, Ulli Freyer has been working with tortoiseshell for over 30 years. In his lecture, he will highlight the three types of tortoiseshell, their differences, and their uses. In addition, using numerous objects as examples, Ulli Freyer will demonstrate the wide range of applications for this fascinating natural material, which has now been replaced by thermoplastic resins.
Admission: CHF 10.-
Event as part of the Solothurn Baroque Days
Tickets available on the Solothurn Baroque Days website
Note: This text was translated by machine translation software and not by a human translator. It may contain translation errors.
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