Unknown
Black-lacquered Box with Peony Blossom DesignJoseon dynasty (1392-1910), 18th century

Not on view

Long rectangular lacquerware box with black ground, densely inlaid with iridescent mother-of-pearl peony blossoms and scrolling leaves across the front face and lid

Artist or Maker: Unknown
Title: Black-lacquered Box with Peony Blossom Design
Place Made: Korea
Date Made: Joseon dynasty (1392-1910), 18th century
Medium: Black lacquer on wood core with gold painted decoration, mother-of-pearl inlay, and metal fittings
Dimensions: 5 1/2 x 15 3/4 x 4 5/8 in. (13.97 x 40.01 x 11.75 cm)
Credit Line: Purchased with Museum Funds
Accession Number: M.2000.15.149
Classification: Furnishings
Collecting Area: Chinese and Korean Art
Curatorial Notes: Peony blossoms, a popular decorative motif in Korea, mark the spring renewal and symbolize happiness, purity, and prosperity. This small box is covered with peonies made iridescent with mother-of-pearl inlay (najeon chilgi). Often harvested from the inner shell of abalones, conches, or oysters, mother of pearl was applied to the box using two different techniques—mojobeop and kkeuneumjil. On the three visible long sides (the bottom is unadorned), the overall pattern of incised peonies was achieved with the mojobeop technique. On the smaller side panels, the hanja character 壽 (su), meaning long life, was created with the kkeuneumjil process, in which mother of pearl is sliced into thin strips to accommodate curved lines.

While Korean lacquer boxes often open at the front, this particular example holds two small stacked drawers inside that are accessed from the side. The use of lacquer, a practice going back more than a thousand years in East Asia, is both aesthetic and functional: it provides a lovely luster as well as a protective varnish that naturally prevents water and insect damage.

Virginia Moon

April 2025
Selected Bibliography: Korean Art Collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, U.S.A. Daejeon, Republic of Korea: National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, 2012.

Unknown
Black-lacquered Box with Peony Blossom DesignJoseon dynasty (1392-1910), 18th century

Not on view

Artist or Maker: Unknown
Title: Black-lacquered Box with Peony Blossom Design
Place Made: Korea
Date Made: Joseon dynasty (1392-1910), 18th century
Medium: Black lacquer on wood core with gold painted decoration, mother-of-pearl inlay, and metal fittings
Dimensions: 5 1/2 x 15 3/4 x 4 5/8 in. (13.97 x 40.01 x 11.75 cm)
Credit Line: Purchased with Museum Funds
Accession Number: M.2000.15.149
Classification: Furnishings
Collecting Area: Chinese and Korean Art
Curatorial Notes: Peony blossoms, a popular decorative motif in Korea, mark the spring renewal and symbolize happiness, purity, and prosperity. This small box is covered with peonies made iridescent with mother-of-pearl inlay (najeon chilgi). Often harvested from the inner shell of abalones, conches, or oysters, mother of pearl was applied to the box using two different techniques—mojobeop and kkeuneumjil. On the three visible long sides (the bottom is unadorned), the overall pattern of incised peonies was achieved with the mojobeop technique. On the smaller side panels, the hanja character 壽 (su), meaning long life, was created with the kkeuneumjil process, in which mother of pearl is sliced into thin strips to accommodate curved lines.

While Korean lacquer boxes often open at the front, this particular example holds two small stacked drawers inside that are accessed from the side. The use of lacquer, a practice going back more than a thousand years in East Asia, is both aesthetic and functional: it provides a lovely luster as well as a protective varnish that naturally prevents water and insect damage.

Virginia Moon

April 2025
Selected Bibliography: Korean Art Collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, U.S.A. Daejeon, Republic of Korea: National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, 2012.