Lacquer trees have grown and been cultivated in Asian countries for centuries. Its sticky sap, or "ot" in Korean, has served as one of the oldest natural paints used to create a glossy finishing layer on furniture and crafts ― through the "otchil" technique.
While Korea, China and Japan shared a similar culture surrounding lacquerware until the 668-935 Unified Silla era on the Korean Peninsula, the three came to develop their own aesthetics afterward. During the 918-1392 Goryeo Kingdom, Korea began inlaying mother-of-pearl, a shimmering material found in seashells, on lacquered objects.
These came to be known as "najeonchilgi" in Korean.
(Photo: Courtesy of Korea Craft & Design Foundation)
Tap on the link in our bio to read the full article.
#Korea#craft#lacquer#koreanart#lacquerware#najeonchilgi