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., L. 4 in., D. 1 3/4 in.

Shell and Resin: Korean Mother-of-Pearl and Lacquer
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Recently opened-July 5, 2022

Lacquerware with mother-of-pearl inlay has a long and rich tradition in the history of Korean art. This exhibition will showcase The Met’s outstanding collection of Korean lacquerware with nearly 30 examples from the twelfth century to the present, marking the Museum’s first exhibition dedicated solely to Korean lacquerware. The thematic arrangement will examine the technical and aesthetic development of the art form, as well as highlight its larger intra-Asian context through comparative examples of Chinese, Japanese, and Ryukyu (Okinawan) lacquers and South Asian mother-of-pearl. Highlights will range from an exceedingly rare box from the Goryeo dynasty (918–1392) to a mixed media painting by contemporary artist Lee Bul.

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