Cleveland Museum of Art

Scroll Box with Dragon and Phoenix Design

Date

1800s

Medium

lacquered wood inlaid with mother-of-pearl and twisted brass and copper wire

Culture

Korea, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910)

Department

Korean Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

This large rectangular box was designed for keeping a scroll or an important document. The mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer rendering of a dragon and phoenix combines texture, color, and shape to produce a dazzling effect. The large and prominent designs of the Joseon-period inlaid lacquer, like on this box, replaced the fine detail and mosaic-like patterns popular in the Goryeo period (918-1392). This technique of using the inlays of iridescent mother-of-pearl and abalone shells has been practiced in Korea for over a thousand years,

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