Box with peony motif

The peony symbolizes fortune and prosperity in East Asian cultures and it is one of the most commonly used motifs on mother-of-pearl lacquerware. The significance of this box lies in the fact that only mother-of-pearl was used to decorate the lacquered surface. Usually, wires or other supplementary materials were selected to depict peony branches. However, the artisan here adopted a very challenging thin-slicing technique (kkeun’eum-jil) for the branches. After preparing an extremely thin sheet of mother-of-pearl, the artisan cut the pieces into long, thin strips using a special saw. Preparing the mother-of-pearl strips requires tremendous concentration and skill, but applying these thin, fragile strips onto the surface is even more challenging. Only a skillful and seasoned artisan could succeed in creating the rhythmic, curvy lines seen on this lacquer box.