Najeonchilgi

Abstract

According to Xuanhe fengshi Gaoli tujing (宣和奉使高麗圖經: An Illustrated Account of an Embassy to

Goryeo in the Xuanhe Era) by Xu Jing from the Song dynasty in 1123, the najeonchilgi or inlaid lacquer
artifacts of Goryeo made by craftsmen in the capital city of Gaeseong were “extremely refined and to be
treasured.” Although the heyday of najeon or inlaid mother-of-pearl technique was in the Tang dynasty
and the finely-crafted mother-of-pearl products from China were well recognized by Japanese envoys to
that country, Chinese mother-of-pearl production fell into a gradual decline and this trend accelerated
into the Song era. However, by the early twelfth century, when Xu Jing wrote the Xuanhe fengshi Gaoli
tujing, Korean najeon had developed so far as to surpass that of China, where the technique had
originated. Time was needed to achieve such a high level of skill. Perhaps the resplendent mother-of-
pearl technique of the Tang dynasty, which had been received in Korea in the era of Unified Silla, had
sown seed, and Korean uniqueness was gradually infused into the original. It passed through a long
period of gestation during late Silla and the early Goryeo period, and when Goryeo aristocratic culture
came to a peak in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, Korean najeon flourished as never before. This
paper analyzes the chronology of the historical era by dividing sixteen najeon-decorated artifacts into
groups A-D based on the classification proposed by Okada Jo (岡田讓).1 The characteristics of the
decorative techniques seen in Goryeo najeon products include: using multiple najeon fragments to form
each unit of the pattern; the use of twisted metal wires such as silver, copper, and brass in combination
with najeon; and using back-painted tortoiseshell in combination with najeon for an effect of translucent
brilliance. In conclusion, the chronology of the Goryeo najeon artifacts remains extremely uncertain
because the number of pieces imported to Japan and of artifacts in western museums acquired via Japan
is very limited. Hopefully, research findings will come out of Korea by discovering new artifacts backed up
by data, comparing them with the najeon products of the Joseon dynasty, finding their relationship with
other artifacts, and by the excavation of examples from the tombs of the Goryeo dynasty whose dates
can be known beyond doubt.

Journal of Korean Art and Archaeology Vol. 2

Vol.2

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Korean Najeonchilgi of the Goryeo and Early Joseon Periods

Sadamu Kawada

Sagawa Art Museum, Japan

Journal of Korean Art & Archaeology 2008, Vol.2 pp.66-89

DOI : https://doi.org/10.23158/jkaa.2008.v2_04
 Najeonchilgi

Copyright & License

ⓒ 2008 National Museum of KoreaThis is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives
4.0(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) which permits use, distribution and
reproduction in any medium, provided that the article is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no
modifications or adaptations are made.

Keywords

 #Goryeo

 #inlaid celadon

 #Lacquerware

 #Unified Silla Period

I INTRODUCTION

Goryeo was founded in 918 when Wang Geon (王建, 877-943), as one of the hojok (豪族: powerful local
gentry) of Gaeseong (開城), was enthroned in the wake of the fall of Gung-ye (弓裔, r. 901-918), the first
King of Taebong (泰封, 901-918). Upon seizing power, Wang Geon assumed the title of Taejo (太祖: r.
918-943: Sacred Ancestor or Founding King) and tried to consolidate power and to establish his state by
various measures including the relocation of the capital to his hometown, Gaeseong, in the following
year. Meanwhile, Silla (新羅, 57 BC-935), albeit weakened, still persisted as a regional power in the
southeastern part of the Korean peninsula; and Hubaekje (後百濟, 892-936), occupying the territory of
the defunct Baekje (百濟, 18 BC-660) of the southwest, was growing stronger and looking for an
opportune time to expand northward. Taejo was able to overcome this period of instability and
eventually unified the peninsula in 936 by his victory over Hubaekje. The collapse of Silla had taken place
the previous year in 935 with the surrender of Gyeongsunwang (敬順王, r. 927-935) and his men. Thus,
eighteen years after its foundation, Goryeo became the sole power reigning over the Korean peninsula.

Despite having laid the foundations of the state, Taejo was saddled with challenges during the early
years of Goryeo. Internally, there were constant conflicts and rebellions on the issue of succession to the
throne. To the north, the nomadic tribe of Georan (契丹: Khitans or Qidan) was expanding its power and
from time to time launching invasions into Goryeo. It was only in 1076, during the reign of its eleventh
monarch, King Munjong (文宗, r. 1046-1083), that Goryeo was finally able to overcome such internal and
external challenges and establish a strong, centralized monarchy supported by a bureaucracy. The next
seventy years until the end of the reign of the seventeenth ruler – King Injong (仁宗, r. 1122-1146) –
 Najeonchilgi

marked the heyday of the Goryeo dynasty, as reflected in an extended period of political and social
stability and cultural florescence.

Goryeo's considerable cultural development was in part due to the state's recognition of the munban (文
班: civil officials). The high society's extravagant lifestyles displaying power and wealth produced a
culture of aristocratic taste among the nobility; and the subsequent need to satisfy the demands of that
society resulted in the further development of a multi-faceted culture and the production of high quality
works of arts and crafts. To meet the aristocrats' insatiable demands, governmental workshops were set
up inside the capital, staffed by skilled craftsmen who produced wares for exclusive government
consumption. As in the case of cheongja (靑瓷: celadon stoneware), the most representative Goryeo
craftwork influenced by the ceramics of the Song dynasty, Goryeo craftsmen themselves strived to
acquire the latest techniques from more advanced countries.

At Yeseong-hang (禮成港), Gaeseong's port of entry, trading ships from Song China, Japan, and even as
far as Arabia dropped anchor, bringing rare and precious goods from all over the world. These imported
luxury goods were destined for Gaeseong, the center of the ruling class, enriching the monarchy and the
nobility. In turn, skilled craftsmen were able to make creative and refined goods based on the precious
raw materials that had been imported. These various types of elaborate luxury items were not solely
intended for the royal family and the aristocracy but were also used in foreign diplomacy as gifts and for
general export, helping the economy of Goryeo to grow.

Goryeo produced numerous refined works of art and displayed excellent craftsmanship during its golden
age, from the second half of the eleventh century to the first half of the twelfth century. The standards
were set by the quintessential Goryeo Buddhist paintings, by metalwork decorated with delicate inlaid
silver lines on a black/brown metal surface and by the clear beauty of the indefinable bisaek (翡色: jade-
green color), winning universal admiration and attesting to the high level of artistic taste and the
innately Korean aesthetic that the Goryeo people espoused. The exquisite najeonchilgi (螺鈿漆器:
lacquerware inlaid with mother-of-pearl) also represents the epitome of Goryeo craftsmanship. Only a
few pieces are still extant today, but in the mysterious radiance that jagae (자개: fragments of mother-
of-pearl) emit, one can almost see the effort and the passion of the craftsmen of Goryeo to achieve
refinement and bea
 Najeonchilgi

Najeonchilgi (Korean: 나전칠기, [nadʑʌntɕʰilɡi]) refers to a particular kind of Korean handicraft where
various colourful and vibrant pieces of shellfish are inlaid on certain objects

Etymology
The very term 'Najeonchilgi' is a combination of two particular words: 'najeon'– mother-of-pearl and
‘chilgi’ which refers to lacquerware. ‘najeon’ refers to the composite material which forms the inner
shiny shell layer. Korean craftsmen generally use the processed abalone shells. While in ancient
China was where it originated primarily, throughout the years, it has gained popularity across Japan
and South Korea.

History and transformation

‘Najeonchilgi’ combines two China-influenced craft procedures- the method of lacquering wood and
the mother-of-pearl lacquerware. The Three Kingdom period (57 B.C. – 668 A.D.) witnessed the
introduction of the first method and the second one was introduced during the Shilla period (668 A.D.
– 935 A.D.). The Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), considered the golden period of this craft, was
influenced by Buddhism. During that period, the crafted products were mostly owned by the
aristocrats, due to mostly their intricate, magnificent and eloquent designs as well as abstract,
beautiful patterns. The foreign delegates and overseas kingdoms used to receive the products as
precious gifts. The possible influence of Confucianism during the Joseon dynasty (1392–1910) led to
the inclusion of more simplistic nature-based designs. During the 16th century, the popularity of this
craft further increased against the background of war-stricken Korea. The inclusion of scenes from
daily lives of the commoners in addition to various plants, flowers or fruits managed to pique the
interest of even the commoners. The time period between 1910 and 1945, Japan colonized Korea
and obstructed the free prosperity of the trade. With Korea's independence, the craft began to
flourish again and during the economic boom in the 60s and 70s, it began to symbolize Korean
wealth. While the supply of the abalone shells began to dry up due to heavy demand, turban and
pearl shells were imported from places such as Australia, Taiwan and the Philippines. During the
1980s, however, the extortionate price shrunk the market to a great extent.

Process
Magnificent skills, eye for detailed beauty and immense patience are the three most important
qualities associated with the craftsmen of ‘Najeonchilgi’. The procedure includes more than thirty
elaborate steps. Firstly, materials like wood, thick layers of glued paper, metal, porcelain are used to
create a base. This method is followed by filling the gaps within the base with “saengot” or a fresh
paint made from clay and the lacquer tree resin.] After that, pieces of the mother-of-pearl get pasted
on the base surface. Those pieces are cut in two ways which includes- “Jureumjil” or “filling” and
“ggeuneumjil” or “cutting”. Finally, the entire piece gets polished, lacquered and smooth. During the
modern days, the mass production as well as newer materials such as cashew lacquer instead of
otchil, sometimes create hindrance in terms of durability and authenticity.

Usage
 Najeonchilgi

There are many important usages of the "najeonchilgi" products. Initially the products were used as
gifts to the foreign associates and the rulers. It is applied in the art of making furniture, decorative
jewellery boxes, bookmarks, mirrors, combs, several accessories such as, earrings, bracelets,
necklaces, brooches, hair accessories, water bottles, phone cases and so on. Earlier, when it used
to be strictly associated with wealthy noble families, it was used to make stationary chests, smaller
dining tables, hairdressing accessory chests, plates and bowls, trays and smaller wardrobes, etc.

Modern day master creators

Kim Young-jun, a Najeonchilgi artist, is known to create beautiful “najeonchilgi” products with a
certain twist to make them look fitted against the contemporary background. His exquisite skills and
sense of aesthetics makes him choose every material carefully and provides a unique beauty to the
object created. Some of the other finest 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.

Influence on the contemporary art

Even though, the earlier finery and importance of “najeonchilgi” seem to fade to some extent during
the modern days, with the advent of so many modern technologies of art and craft work, it is still very
much an ongoing pride of the entire Korean culture and tradition. With the help of many art and
handicraft exhibitions, fusion work involving diverse mediums but the same essence, Korean cultural
organizations and their true admirers have been trying to preserve this tradition and attempting at
retrieving its glorious past.

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