Featured Small portrait painted on oyster shell- origin?

Hello! I recently picked up this small painting- it’s a small portrait painted on the inside of an oyster shell.
Does this look like it’s from any particular region, maybe as a tourist item? thanks!

 

What do you think he reads?

Debora

 

I have seen engraved oyster shells, but not a painted one before. My impression is that they are souvenirs from seaside places.

 

Bron, do you have links for the first two?
The second one looks like the dress of the Dutch former island of Schokland. Images of the dress of this period are pretty rare.
Over time Schokland lost more and more land, and the people became destitute. Maybe these were sold on Schokland to supplement their income, before the population was evacuated.

Schokland is now part of a typical Dutch polder, new land claimed from the sea, but you can still see the island, slightly higher than the surrounding land.
In the same polder are the former islands of Urk and Nagele, also still recognizable.
Urk especially is very distinct, in just about every sense of the word.

 

This does not appear to be a Louisiana oyster, but I have seen painted oysters as souvenirs.

 

Thanks for the examples! I think it was probably done by someone who lives near the ocean, but I wasn't sure if it was American or from another country.

 

I think that says Coimbra. Portugal.

 

I thought that might be what it said too although don't particularly associate Coimbra with oysters.

Debora

 

Afraid not. They would have been eBay listings & were saved in late 2018 & early 2019, so links would probably be dead by now anyway.

 

Not much help answering about yours but figured I would post mine if anybody else stumbles on the thread in the future. It apparently was purchased at Catalina Island, California. I remember when I got it I found lots of sales posts saying they were carved in France. Now I covet a painted one!

 

They're not grown on that coast, I think the waters are too rough. But eaten, yes.

Up until a year or so back, many of the oysters eaten in Spain and Portugal and France were British. I love raw oysters.

 

The carved ones are beautiful too!

 

Thanks for replying anyway. I'll see if I can find something similar.