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| ▲This photo, provided by The National Museum of Korea, show 'Mother of pearl inlaid Laquered box.' (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
SEOUL January 11 (Yonhap) -- “Mother of pearl inlaid Laquered box” which is expected to have been created within 16 century has returned back to South Korea from the United States.
The box National Museum of Korea exhibited on Wednesday, was bought by the Young Friends of the Museum, shortened as YFM from an auction held in united state and was donated to the museum afterward.
Mother of Pearl is added on top of the created furnitures or objects to create beautiful esthetical decorations. Decorating with mother of pearl is one of numbers of skills passed down upon generations throughout the history of Korea.
Donated Laquered inlaid with Mother of Pearl is a box in size of 46cm wide and 31cm tall.
It is assumed to have been a storage unit for valuables or writing materials.
When in process of creating the “Mother of Pearl inlaid Laquered Box” they covered the box with a fabric in order to prevent the wooden part of the box from being deformed and damaged before processing the box with mother of pearl. The museum address that this process was often times used to create high class object decorated with mother of pearl.
Beautiful art covering over the box draws people’s attention. Various lotus figures showcase various colors depending on the angle one look at, and the leafs and stems spread throughout the box successfully harmonize along with the lotus flower.
Official of the museum addressed “We do not know exactly who used the box however, the way they created the box was often time used for very expensive objects, also the price of the objects made with mother of pearl were very expensive therefore it seemed to have belong to a wealthy owner.”
Judging by the technique used to create the “Mother of Pearl inlaid Laquered Box” donated to the museum, where processors would cut the mother of pearl by following the pattern, and continuously hit it with the hammer to let the mother of pearl stick to the object, “Mother of Pearl inlaid Laquered Box” can be assume as a product from 16th century. The method described above was used greatly throughout the later part of Joseon Dynasty.
Official of the museum addressed that “The increasing size of the decorative symbols showcased within the box is a typical trend from the creation within 16th century.”
Given the fact that not many artifacts similar to the one National Museum of Korea exhibited exists, therefore it provides uncountable amount of value as a heritage.
According to the museum only one of the “Mother of pearl inlaid Laquered box” from Joseon dynasty is currently kept by National Museum of Korea and four of the Laquered boxes including one that is classified as Important Japanese Cultural heritage is located within the Tokyo National Museum,.
According to the official of the Museum “There aren’t that many ’Mother of Pearl Inlaid Laquerware box’ from 16th century in existence therefore it is an important evidence showcasing the difference between the ones created within the Goryeo Dynasty and Joseon dynasty and their different value of esthetics throughout those era.”
YFM which donated the artifact to the National Museum of Korea, is a social gathering created in 2008 by the young entrepreneurs to support the culture and heritage of South Korea. They have a history of donating the portable shrine from the Goryeo dynasty and Guanyin Bodhisattva Statue.
(This article is translated from Korean to English by Joonha Yoo)
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