Where To Buy Korea’s Mother of Pearl Lacquerware or Najeonchilgi

I LOVE najeonchilgi (나전칠기) and think it’s an underrated gift from Korea that I wish more people knew about. Najeonchilgi, or mother-of-pearl lacquerware in English, is beautiful and has an amazing history behind it. This Korean handicraft used to be really popular in Korea but has gone out of fashion over the years which has decreased the number of craftsmen making it now. That, though, has also increased the value.

Want to get your hands on some beautiful Korean souvenirs? You can buy them in Korea but also while you’re abroad and I’m going to tell you how to make sure you get an authentic piece of Korean mother of pearl lacquerware. Korean mother of pearl lacquerware is a great souvenir from Korea or a gift from Korea that I highly recommend.

Get ready to learn about mother-of-pearl lacquerware:

• What does najeonchilgi mean?
• The History of Najeonchilgi
• What is mother of pearl?
• What does najeonchilgi look like?
• Who makes mother of pearl lacquerware in Korea?
  • Try it yourself
• Where can I buy Korean mother of pearl lacquerware products?
  • Outside of Korea
    • Amazon
  • In Seoul
    • Willing To Travel In Korea

(This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a certain percentage of a sale if you purchase after clicking at no cost to you. Thank you for your support.)

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What does najeonchilgi mean?

Let’s break it down. The word ‘najeonchilgi’ is made up of two Korean words: ‘najeon’ and ‘chilgi’. ‘Najeon’ (나전) means mother of pearl. ‘Chilgi’ (칠기) means lacquerware.

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The History of Najeonchilgi

Najeonchilgi is a method of lacquering wood with mother of pearl. Lacquering wood was first introduced to Korea from China during the Three Kingdom Period from 57BC to 668AD and the mother of pearl lacquerware was introduced during the Shilla Period from 668AD to 935AD. It wasn’t until the Goryeo Dynasty from 918 to 1392 that this Korean handicraft really experienced it’s golden age though.

During the Goryeo Dynasty, it was aristocrats that owned mother of pearl lacquerware products appreciating the intricate detail and eloquent designs and patterns of the products. These products would even be gifted to diplomats and foreign visitors as precious gifts from Korea which helped to make it a representative product of Korea to the outside world.

During the Joseon Dynasty, designs became more simplified though no less beautiful and the popularity of the product continued to increase. During the Japanese colonization from 1910 to 1945, the trade was severely restricted but came back swiftly after independence. Mother of pearl lacquerware again flourished in Korea during the 1960s and 1970s and was a symbol of wealth during the Korean economic boom.

The craft was actually named an intangible cultural heritage in 1966. Unfortunately, with the major popularity and a lot more people buying the beautiful pieces, abalone shells began to disappear in the waters of Korea so the price was pushed up meaning less people could purchase the products. Ultimately, abalone shells were imported from Australia, Taiwan, and the Philippines to fill the void, but as the price had been pushed up to extortionate levels, popularity dwindled in the 1980s and 1990s.

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What is mother of pearl?

Mother of pearl is also called nacre and comes from some mollusks. This inner shell layer is what pearls are composed of and it is strong and iridescent. Just so you understand the difference though, pearls are layers and layers of nacre. Mother of pearl is the product before it becomes a pearl. If you’ve had vacations to far off islands, you may have seen jewelry made of mother of pearl. It’s not just in Korea, but Koreans did create some stunning decoration with the shells.

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What does najeonchilgi look like?

It shimmers. It shines. When the light hits it just right, it’s a rainbow of color. Mother of pearl lacquerware can be applied to everything from furniture and jewelry boxes to mirrors, combs, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, phone cases, and more.

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Who makes mother of pearl lacquerware in Korea?

The craftsmen who create mother of pearl lacquerware products in Korea are known to have three things: amazing skill, an eye for detail, and great patience. If you go to the Seoul Museum of Craft Art you will learn that the process to make mother of pearl lacquerware requires more than 30 steps. It is not a short process by any means.

In the museum, they break it down and show you what each layer of the process looks like. After seeing that, I can’t tell you how much more I appreciated this Korean craft. It’s amazing what a piece of furniture goes through to get to what you see pictured here.

Because the process to make mother of pearl lacquerware products is so painstaking and requires so much time, it’s no wonder that there are less and less skilled craftsmen. The Korean government has been making great efforts to preserve this artisan work and has made the craftsmen intangible cultural assets that are essential.

Today, najeonchilgi master creators include Song Bang-woong, Sohn Dae-hyun, Jeung Myung-chae, Han Sang-soo, Kim Sun-kap, Lee Hyung-man, and Choi Jong-gwan among others.

Try it yourself

If you want to try making your own mother of pearl product while you’re in Korea, you can try your hand at this intricate detailed craft. Trazy offers a class with a 3rd generation master artisan whose handiwork has been featured in various Korean movies and dramas. You can join a class every day except Sundays at 11:00am or at 1:00pm. You can book your mother of pearl experience here.

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Where can I buy Korean mother of pearl lacquerware products?

Korean mother of pearl lacquerware makes a great souvenir if you visit Korea, but just like the years of yore, it’s also a great gift for a friend or for yourself too and now, you can get it online easier than ever before.

Outside of Korea

If you’re abroad, you might be thinking that you don’t have the best access to Korean mother-of-pearl BUT there are some places that are trying to spread the Korean handicraft love to the world so you have more options than you might think.

Amazon

You might be surprised to find out that Amazon actually has some pretty good Korean mother of pearl options. Of course, everything is on Amazon these days, isn’t it? When searching on Amazon, just make sure you check the seller and be sure it’s from Korea. There are some beautiful mother of pearl products from Egypt and other countries as well. If you want something from Korea though, read the descriptions carefully before you purchase.

Some great examples of what you can find on Amazon include this trinket box decorated with cranes by MADDesign (left) or a larger jewelry box from MADDesign with a beautiful peacock (right).

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In Seoul

Insadong: The Insadong district in Seoul is probably the easiest place to find najeonchilgi and it’s a popular area with a lot of souvenirs for tourists as it’s near popular spots like Gyeongbokgung Palace and Bukchon Hanok Village. I got one of my favorite najeonchilgi keepsakes from Insadong. They tend to have everything from mirrors and accessories to jewelry boxes and more.

• Budget: You can spend as little as W20,000 or upwards of W1,000,000+.

Dongmyo Market: This is not for the faint of heart. If you love to sift through pre-loved items and find the gems, then you should definitely check out Dongmyo Market. It’s item upon item and stack upon stack of everything you could want to find. There are vintage and antique goods as well as new things too. It’s a very overwhelming place, so again, I don’t recommend it unless you love the hunt. You can get real bargains here though.

• Budget: Very budget friendly here and you can haggle.

Karrot Market (단근마켓): If you’re living in Korea and a fan of apps and want to find something in your own area, log into Karrot Market. Karrot Market is one of the most popular person to person selling sites in Korea now. You can find all kinds of things on there. There is often mother of pearl furniture on the app in my area… but there’s a reason for that. Even my own mother-in-law gave away some gorgeous najeonchilgi dressers that would be worth a lot of money. The thing is, most people don’t want to move them because they’re HEAVY. If you’ve got the means, look up 나전칠기 or 자개 and remember that whatever you buy, you have to move.

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Willing to Travel in Korea

Tongyeong, Korea: If you’re in Korea, willing to travel, and interested in Korea’s mother of pearl lacquerware, then you definitely need to visit Tongyeong, Korea. Best known for najeonchilgi, Tongyeong even holds a Najeon Chilgi Festival (during the Hansandae Festival) each August. This area on the southern coast of Korea is beautiful and you could enjoy an entire weekend down there just learning about about najeonchilgi and taking in the beachside views.

• Tongyeong Traditional Craft Hall: This is a good place to find the lacquerware that you so desire.
  • Address: 642 Beonji, Donam-dong, Tongyeong-si, Gyeongsangnam-do (경상남도 통영시 도남동 642)
  • Hours: 9:00am ~ 6:00pm

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I hope you appreciate najeonchilgi as much I do. I have three gorgeous pieces of my own and hope to get more. They’re just beautiful and such a piece of Korean history and culture. Don’t overlook this beautiful gift from Korea.

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