Rare Goryeo Dynasty box on display in Korea
![A najeon chilgi box that dates back to the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) is being exhibited at the National Palace Museum of Korea in central Seoul. Najeon chilgi is lacquerware inlaid with mother-of-pearl. [CULTURAL HERITAGE ADMINISTRATION]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2023/12/07/768a5a70-51d1-4378-b90a-c1024b5d298c.jpg)
A najeon chilgi box that dates back to the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) is being exhibited at the National Palace Museum of Korea in central Seoul. Najeon chilgi is lacquerware inlaid with mother-of-pearl. [CULTURAL HERITAGE ADMINISTRATION]
The rare najeon chilgi box dating back to the renaissance of the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392), which made a dramatic homecoming from Japan in July, is finally ready to greet members of the public. A special exhibit showcasing the box kicked off at the National Palace Museum of Korea in central Seoul on Thursday and will continue until Jan. 7.
Najeon chilgi is a traditional Korean technique in which lacquerware is inlaid with mother-of-pearl.
Researchers have been conducting various scientific analyses since the relic was brought back from Japan. The returned najeon chilgi box is especially valuable, according to the Cultural Heritage Administration, as it has gone through hardly any repairs compared to other lacquerware inlaid with mother-of-pearl, which are prone to damage. Fewer than 20 najeon chilgo from the Goryeo Dynasty are known to have survived across the world.
The returned najeon chilgi measures 33 centimeters (13 inches) wide, 18.5 centimeters long and 19.4 centimeters tall. It has patterns made from mother-of-pearl, mainly shells of certain mollusks. It is adorned with representative Goryeo mother-of-pearl patterns, including chrysanthemum vine motifs and peony vine designs.
Visitors will be able to view the najeon chilgi at the exhibit along with X-ray photographs and 3-D scans. Choi Eong-chon, head of the Cultural Heritage Administration, who specialized in najeon chilgi while working at the National Museum of Korea, will also hold a talk session about the returned artifact in January. The exact date will be announced shortly.
The National Palace Museum of Korea, which is located next to Gyeongbok Palace, is open every day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and until 9 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays. For more information, visit gogung.go.kr or call (02) 3701-7500. To access the museum, go to Gyeongbokgung Station, line No. 3, exit 5
BY YIM SEUNG-HYE [yim.seunghye@joongang.co.kr]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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