Shells were among the many luxury items brought to Europe on trading ships from the East in the 17th century. Owing to their expense and prestige, wealthy collectors eagerly added them to their drawing-room collections. An avid collector himself, Rembrandt acquired shells along with prints, drawings and books. This work, known in only a few impressions, is the sole still life in Rembrandt’s oeuvre, and it was likely drawn after a specimen in his possession. It is also the only known print that Rembrandt made of an object in his collection. The artist carefully delineated the patterns of the shell, using etching and drypoint with alternately open and dense hatching, to convey a sense of its reddish-brown and white surface and its luster. This iconic presentation reveals Rembrandt’s fascination with the beauty of the shell’s form and design.