Masterpiece Najeonchilgi Rose Drawer Mother of Pearl Jewelry Box (Black), 21 cm (Master Artisan Kim Young-man)

Overview

Kim Young-man's rose drawer box in the black-ground finish, 21 cm, with a pull-out drawer under the main compartment. Black is the classical ground for Korean shell inlay and it produces the sharpest possible contrast: the roses appear to float, with the lacquer around them reading as depth rather than as surface. Where the red version is warm, this one is graphic and severe.

Heritage & Craft

Black lacquer gets its depth from accumulation — many translucent coats, each cured and cut back, until the eye can no longer find the bottom of the finish. Only after that groundwork does the inlay register as it should, sitting exactly flush yet appearing to hover above a dark void.

For most of najeonchilgi's history the black ground was not a design choice but the default state of refined lacquer, and mastery was judged on how evenly the shell could be brought level with it. A modern rose motif on that traditional ground is a deliberate collision of new subject and old surface.

Artist

Executed by master artisan Kim Young-man, who cuts the shell and finishes the lacquer himself.

Specifications

• Material: wood core, natural mother-of-pearl inlay, lacquer finish
• Motif: rose
• Colour: black lacquer ground
• Form: drawer-type jewelry box
• Size: approx. 21 cm
• Workshop mark: Rangjae
• Origin: Handmade in South Korea
• Brand: K-Crafts | Code: KS-P0000MXX

Gifting

The safer of the two colourways for a gift where you do not know the recipient's interior — black suits almost any dresser. Fitting for a graduation, a professional milestone, or a wedding gift to a couple with contemporary taste.