A pair of Bretons in traditional costume, with lacquered wooden heads; the costumes are made of small, finely assembled seashells (many missing pieces, mold). Work by a salt worker, 19th century. Height: 23 cm Note: First appearing in Batz-sur-Mer in the late 17th century to adorn church altars with floral bouquets, this craft of creating shell figurines depicting salt workers gradually lost its religious function and became purely decorative around 1820. It actively contributed to the region’s economic boom until 1880 and also helped spread the image and folk traditions of this community far beyond its borders.