Najeonchilgi Pine & Crane Roof-Tile 3-Drawer Mother of Pearl Jewelry Box (Master Artisan Kim Young-man)

Overview

A three-drawer chest whose top is shaped like the eave of a Korean hanok roof — the giwa tile profile, curving up at the ends rather than lying flat. Pine and crane inlay runs across the drawer fronts in cut shell. The form is architectural rather than merely decorative: the sweep of the lid is the same curve found on temple and palace roofs.

Heritage & Craft

Borrowing building forms for small objects is a long habit in Korean craft, and it makes the lacquerer's job harder — a curved lid has to be coated and leveled along its whole sweep without the finish pooling at the low points. The shell is cut, laid into the lacquer while it is still tacky, then covered and polished back over successive coats.

Pine and crane are what Korean families reach for when the wish is longevity, and setting them beneath a roofline extends the thought: not simply a long life, but a long life under a stable roof.

Specifications

• Material: Lacquered wood with hand-cut natural mother-of-pearl inlay
• Motif: Pine and crane (longevity, fidelity)
• Form: Giwa roof-tile lid above three drawers
• Origin: Handmade in South Korea
• Brand: K-Crafts | Code: KS-P0000UQK

Artist

Made by Kim Young-man of the Rangjae workshop, working in hand-cut nacre inlay.

Gifting

A housewarming gift with an obvious logic to it, and a good choice for anyone furnishing a first home. It also suits a milestone birthday, where the longevity motif does the talking.