The luminosity of Goryeo returns containing 800 years of time

There are only three lacquerwares laid with mother-of-pearl from the Goryeo era in South Korea, and only about twenty in the world. The lacquered box laid with mother-of-pearl in chrysanthemum vine patterns, a Goryeo najeonchilgi that recently returned from Japan. Courtesy of the Cultural Heritage Administration

A lacquerware inlaid with mother-of-pearl (najeonchilgi) in chrysanthemum vine patterns from the Goryeo period returned to South Korea from Japan, becoming the fourth addition to the collection of Goryeo mother-of-pearl lacquerware in Korea.

The existence of the mother-of-pearl lacquered box with chrysanthemum vine patterns manufactured over 800 years ago was never known. The artifact displays excellent artistic features as well as elaborate craftsmanship. It was also preserved in the best of conditions, vividly giving off a brilliant and colorful radiance. Experts claim the artifact is one of the best mother-of-pearl lacquerwares from the Goryeo era.

On September 6, the Cultural Heritage Administration disclosed the “lacquerware inlaid with mother-of-pearl in chrysanthemum vine patterns” to the press at the National Palace Museum of Korea. It was a najeonchilgi or mother-of-pearl lacquerware, a handicraft from the Goryeo Dynasty (13th century), which the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation brought back to the country after purchasing it from an individual collector in Japan.

The najeonchilgi (lacquerware inlaid with mother-of-pearl) is a craftwork decorated using the najeon method--covering artifacts with jagae or ornamental plates made from the inner layer of certain shellfish, such as abalone and turban snails. Such decorations are known for their brilliant colors and stunning patterns. Lacquer is then applied to the craftwork multiple times. The najeonchilgi is referred to as a concentration of craftsmanship, for it requires a highly elaborate and intricate process in which the artisan creates patterns such as flowers by placing every piece of the jagae, thinly processed into extremely fine 1-5mm plates. Thus, the Goryeo najeonchilgi has been considered one of the best craftworks of the Goryeo period along with the Goryeo celadon and Goryeo Buddhist paintings. The najeonchilgi is still produced today as a traditional craftwork representing South Korea.

The latest lacquered box decorated with mother-of-pearl shows the quintessence of the Goryeo najeonchilgi of the thirteenth century.

The box measured 33.0cm * 18.5cm with a height of 19.4cm and displayed an elaborate design using over 45,000 pieces of jagae. The box was decorated with over 770 chrysanthemum vine patterns on all sides. The patterns were minute: the size of the core of each chrysanthemum was about 1.7mm, and the petals were only 2.5mm long. Lines were engraved in each tiny petal, intricately expressing every little detail. Thirty peony vines were placed on the narrow surface on top of the box cover, and the outer area was densely filled with a string of nearly 1,670 bead patterns.

The vines that surrounded the chrysanthemums were made with C-shaped metal lines, and the outer area was marked by a boundary made of two metal lines twisted together.

The lacquered box laid with mother-of-pearl in chrysanthemum vine patterns not only vividly showed the naturally brilliant colors of the jagae, the box, including the materials used to decorate it, such as the jagae and metal lines, was also preserved in a very fine state when compared with the existing Goryeo najeonchilgi.
Park Young-kyu, an honorary professor at Yongin University and an authority in the research of traditional crafts, said, “Its brilliant colors are finer than the previously known Goryeo lacquerware inlaid with mother-of-pearl, and the patterns are very intricate.” He claimed that the latest artifact had very high academic and artistic value and that it was also valuable in terms of technique. He further stressed the significance of the return of the artifact saying South Korea secured a Goryeo najeonchilgi artifact, which the world never knew existed before.

The Cultural Heritage Administration said, “In the process of bringing the artifact back to our country, we scientifically and accurately analyzed the manufacturing technique and materials used in the Goryeo najeonchilgi.”

According to the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation, which oversaw the latest return, they first confirmed the existence of the lacquered box laid with mother-of-pearl in chrysanthemum vine patterns through its network of cooperation in Japan last July. After a year of careful research and negotiations with the help of the Cultural Heritage Administration, they succeeded in bringing the artifact back to Korea in July.

At present, officially, there are only about twenty lacquerwares laid with mother-of-pearl from the Goryeo period in perfect shape throughout the world including Japan and the United States, and only three are in South Korea. They are rare for not many were manufactured due to the difficulty of production and because they were made of wood, which damages easily.