Shagreen is a decorative covering made from the skin of a ray or shark, whose surface is naturally covered with small, rounded nodules that are ground flat and polished to produce a distinctive granular pattern. It is usually dyed, most often green, and was used to cover small boxes, cases, instruments and furniture. Historically the name was also applied to a type of textured leather made from horse or donkey hide.
Shagreen became fashionable in the eighteenth century for cases holding spectacles, etuis, scientific instruments, razors, cutlery and toiletries, valued for its toughness and grip as well as its attractive appearance. Its most celebrated revival came in the 1920s and 1930s, when Art Deco designers in Paris, notably Jean-Michel Frank and Clément Rousseau, used it lavishly on cabinets, tables, mirrors, boxes and desk accessories, and the material is still sometimes called galuchat after an eighteenth-century French craftsman. Collectors look for even colour, well-matched panels and tight joins, while lifting, cracking, losses and fading are common faults. Some species used for shagreen are now protected, so modern buyers should check the source. Shagreen adds texture and luxury to interiors in small doses.
