Vintage New Zealand Paua Shell Tray with Brass Handles in Iridescent Green

A vintage New Zealand paua shell tray with brass handles, its glossy dark ground set with crushed paua shell that shimmers in green, teal, blue and silver, with its original Genuine Paua Shell label beneath.

Tilt this little tray towards a window and it lights up like a rock pool. Paua is the New Zealand abalone, and its shell is famous for that oily, peacock iridescence. Here hundreds of tiny fragments have been scattered edge to edge and sealed under a deep, glassy resin, so the surface is smooth to the touch but full of movement to the eye, shifting from bottle green to electric blue and back again as you walk past. Two slim brass handles, riveted at each end, give it a sleek mid century outline.

Paua shell trays, dishes and boxes were made in New Zealand through the 1960s and 1970s and became the souvenir of choice for visitors, which is why so many found their way back to Britain in suitcases. Ours still carries its oval label reading Genuine Paua Shell, Made in New Zealand, and sits on four green felt pads.

It measures 21cm across the handles, 12cm wide and just 2cm high. The shell surface is in lovely condition, while the underside shows light scratches and the brass handles have a soft, mellow patina from age.

We would put it on a dressing table for rings, earrings and a favourite lipstick, or beside the bed for a watch and reading glasses. It is just the right size for passing round a couple of biscuits with coffee, sits neatly on a desk as a home for paper clips and pens, and looks wonderful on a bathroom shelf beside a scented candle and a brass soap dish. It would make a smart gift for anyone with New Zealand connections or a soft spot for mid century design.