Seashell Spiral Collection

Tiny coiled shells occupy the middle of this collection, surrounded by larger cones, rounded whorls and two ridged fans. Some lie with their openings facing up; others show only the bands wound around their backs. Cream and caramel dominate, interrupted by cool gray stripes and the soft pink inside a few mouths. On the charcoal cloth, even a pale shell's thinnest edge remains distinct.

Size can be deceptive when the picture is broken into pieces. A tight curl near the center resembles the tip of a much larger shell, but the surrounding ridges soon reveal the difference. Broad stripes curve smoothly across the rounded shells, while raised knobs break up the rougher ones. The woven background has its own small, regular pattern. Following a shell's outline through that dark texture is often more reliable than matching two similar shades of ivory.