Trefoil-shaped covered box with decoration of chrysanthemums, 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). Fletcher Fund, 1925 (25.215.41a,b)

Shell and Resin: Korean Mother-of-Pearl and Lacquer,
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Last day July 5th

Lacquerware with mother-of-pearl inlay has a long and rich tradition in the history of Korean art. This show showcases nearly thirty outstanding works of Korean lacquerware from The Met collection to highlight the distinctive materiality of lacquer and mother-of-pearl. The exhibition begins with a twelfth-century trefoil box, noteworthy for its rarity, and follows the traditional to the present with contemporary works by master artists.