Najeonchilgi Painted Peony Rounded Joseon Style Mother of Pearl Jewelry Box, 21 cm

Overview

A softly rounded jewelry box, roughly 21 cm across, with a peony spreading over the lid in coloured mother-of-pearl. The curved corners follow a Joseon-era cabinet profile, so the piece reads low and wide rather than boxy. Because the shell is laid into the lacquer ground itself, the blossom shifts between pink, green and silver as you move around it.

Heritage & Craft

Najeonchilgi starts with a wooden core sealed under coat after coat of ott lacquer. Thin sheets of nacre are sawn and nipped into petals and stems, pressed into the still-tacky surface, then buried under further coats and slowly ground back until the shell rises flush with the dark ground.

The peony — mokdan in Korean — is the flower of wealth and standing. Joseon households inlaid it on dowry chests and marriage furniture as a wish for a prosperous, well-regarded home, which is why it appears so often on pieces made to hold a woman's valuables.

Specifications

• Material: wood core, natural mother-of-pearl inlay, lacquer finish
• Motif: coloured peony (chaesaek mokdan)
• Form: rounded Joseon-style jewelry box
• Size: approx. 21 cm
• Origin: Handmade in South Korea
• Brand: K-Crafts | Code: KS-P0000YIF

Gifting

Suited to a milestone birthday, a mother's or grandmother's anniversary, or a wedding gift for a couple setting up a first home. Its size makes it a practical everyday keeper for rings and earrings rather than a shelf ornament.