Lacquered Box "Chrysanthemum" in Cobalt Blue with Paua Shell — Miji Company, Seoul

An 11 cm lacquered cube in deep cobalt blue, its faces covered in a chrysanthemum pattern of thread-thin New Zealand paua shell — a contemporary take on Korean najeon from a small Seoul studio.

Traditional najeon sits on black or red; this box moves the craft onto a saturated cobalt ground, coated many times over before the shell is cut into fine strips and laid petal by petal. Paua — the most vivid of the abalones — gives blues, greens and violets that echo the lacquer. Small enough for a desk or a dresser, made one at a time.

Details

• Maker: Miji Company (미지컴퍼니), Seoul
• Materials: Wood, cobalt lacquer, New Zealand paua shell (Haliotis iris)
• Size: 11 × 11 × 11 cm

Watch: how Korean inlaid lacquer is made

The Victoria and Albert Museum on the najeon chilgi process, from lacquer ground to cut shell. (A general introduction — not this specific piece.)

Please read before ordering

• Made to order. Expect 4–5 weeks from order to delivery; small variations in shell color are part of the piece.
• Shell only — no tortoiseshell or ivory.
• Ships from New Jersey. Price includes all import duties. Fully insured, signature required.