Hwagak Ox-Horn Card Case — Reverse-Painted Korean Horn Craft

A card case faced in hwagak — Korea's rarest decorative craft, in which ox horn is shaved to translucent sheets, painted on the back in mineral colors, and laid face-down so the design glows through the horn.

Hwagak was a Joseon court and aristocratic craft; a single horn yields only a few usable sheets, and each must be boiled, flattened and planed to paper thinness before painting. Antique hwagak boxes now sell at auction for tens of thousands of dollars. This case comes from a studio led by a trained assistant (jeonsu jogyo) to Gyeonggi Province's Intangible Heritage hwagak master — the most accessible way to own the craft.

Details

• Studio: Hwagak studio, Gyeonggi Province · led by a trained assistant to Gyeonggi Intangible Heritage No. 29 Hwagakjang
• Materials: Korean ox horn (domestic cattle), mineral (dancheong) pigments, steel/stainless frame
• Size: 9.5 × 5.7 × 0.8 cm

Watch: hwagak, an art form made of ox horn

Arirang TV on the hwagak master's process, from raw horn to painted panel. (A general introduction — not this specific piece.)

Please read before ordering

• Made to order — up to 10 days in the studio. Expect 3–4 weeks to delivery. Colors vary slightly by horn.
• Horn from domestic cattle only — no wildlife material.
• Ships from New Jersey. Price includes all import duties. Fully insured.