Coquillages : collection Jacques et Rita Senders

New edition

Molluscs are remarkable builders, whose architectural prowess is almost without equal in the animal world. These marvels of nature evoke exotic or futuristic architecture, antique or Art Nouveau vases, even precious stones or volcanic rocks, and reaffirm the importance of nature as a source of inspiration for artists and architects.

Some enthusiasts collect shells throughout their lives, motivated by their beauty if they are aesthetes, or for scientific purposes, like Jacques and Rita Senders, who have amassed a fantastic collection over the last fifty years. The photographs by Paul Starosta in this book pay tribute to the extraordinary variety and architectural refinement of these shells, revealing a world where nature far surpasses human imagination and inspiration. At the end of the volume, miniature photographs are accompanied by scientific information on molluscs, their life, their characteristics and their different families.