Shell and Resin: Korean Mother-of-Pearl and Lacquer

Lacquerware with mother-of-pearl inlay has a long and rich tradition in the history of Korean art. This exhibition showcases nearly thirty outstanding works of Korean lacquerware from The Met collection and marks the Museum’s first exhibition dedicated solely to Korean lacquerware. The pieces are arranged thematically by motif to illustrate the technical and aesthetic development of the art form and acknowledge the greater Asian context through comparative examples of Chinese, Japanese, and Ryūkyū (Okinawan) lacquers and South Asian mother-of-pearl. The exhibition begins with a twelfth-century trefoil box, noteworthy for its rarity, exceptional technique, and intricate inlay, and follows the tradition to the present with contemporary works by master artists.

Lacquer—an English word derived from the Portuguese word lacré (sealing wax)—refers to the toxic sap sourced from trees belonging to the Toxicodendron genus widely found in Korea, Japan, southern China, and Southeast Asia. When exposed to oxygen and humidity, lacquer hardens, or polymerizes, becoming a natural plastic and ideal protective covering. The term “mother-of-pearl” has been used since at least the sixteenth century to describe the lustrous material in the interior of some mollusks in many parts of the world. The exhibition explores the manner in which lacquer and mother-of-pearl are often paired yet have distinct materiality.

The exhibition is made possible by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, The Republic of Korea (MCST).

Exhibition Objects

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Trefoil-shaped covered box with decoration of chrysanthemums

, Lacquer inlaid with mother-of-pearl and tortoise shell over pigment and brass wire, Korea — Trefoil-shaped covered box with decoration of chrysanthemums
Korea
ca.12th century

Ogival tray decorated with floral scroll, Lacquer inlaid with mother-of-pearl, Korea — Ogival tray decorated with floral scroll
Korea
15th–16th century

Stationery box decorated with peony scrolls
, Lacquer inlaid with mother-of-pearl; brass fittings, Korea — Stationery box decorated with peony scrolls
Korea
15th–16th century

Box decorated with flowers and clouds, Lacquer inlaid with mother-of-pearl, Korea — Box decorated with flowers and clouds
Korea
18th century

Box decorated with flowers and clouds, Lacquer inlaid with mother-of-pearl, tortoiseshell, and brass wire, Korea — Box decorated with flowers and clouds
Korea
18th century

Box with decoration of peony scrolls, Lacquer inlaid with mother-of-pearl, Korea — Box with decoration of peony scrolls
Korea
15th–16th century

Stationery box decorated with peony scrolls, Lacquer inlaid with mother-of-pearl, Korea — Stationery box decorated with peony scrolls
Korea
18th century

Clothing box decorated with peony scrolls, Lacquer inlaid with mother-of-pearl and tortoiseshell, and brass wire, Korea — Clothing box decorated with peony scrolls
Korea
17th century

Clothing box decorated with dragons, Lacquer inlaid with mother-of-pearl, tortoiseshell, and ray skin, Korea — Clothing box decorated with dragons
Korea
19th century

Chest decorated with phoenixes, colored roundels (taegeuk), and flowers, Lacquered wood with inlaid mother-of-pearl, tortoiseshell, ray skin, and brass wire; brass fittings, Korea — Chest decorated with phoenixes, colored roundels (taegeuk), and flowers
Korea
early 20th century

Palanquin, Lacquered wood with paper, cellulosic acetate and silk cushion, Korea — Palanquin
Korea
20th century

Box decorated with grapes and butterflies, Sohn Daehyun Korean, Ottchil lacquer, wood, hemp, and mother-of-pearl, Korea — Box decorated with grapes and butterflies
Sohn Daehyun (Korean, born 1949)
2016

Box with Many Angles, Kim Seol Korean, Ottchil lacquer, hemp, quail eggshell, tofu, and abalone shell, Korea — Box with Many Angles
Kim Seol (Korean, born 1955)
1997

Marquee: Trefoil-shaped covered box with decoration of chrysanthemums (detail), ca. 12th century. Lacquer inlaid with mother-of-pearl and tortoise shell over pigment, brass wire, 1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm), L. 4 in (10.2 cm), D. 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Fletcher Fund, 1925 (25.215.41a, b)