Foliate-Shaped Tray with Mother-of-Pearl Inlay
late 1400s–early 1500s
- Medium
- Inlaid abalone shells on black lacquer ground, applied with red lacquer on the interior
- Classification
- Lacquer
- Dimensions
- width: 44.1 cm (17 3/8 in.)
- Culture
- Korea, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910)
- Museum
- Cleveland Museum of Art, Korean Art
- Credit line
- Sundry Art - Miscellaneous Fund
- Rights
- Public domain (CC0), as the museum states it.
- Who can see it
- Tweens profiles and older: its subjects are known and suit older children. How works are placed
View at the Cleveland Museum of Art
About this work
Since the Goryeo dynasty, Korean mother-of-pearl lacquerware has been admired for its refinement, though few early examples survive. This tray, datable to the late 1400s or early 1500s, is exceptional for both rarity and condition. Its foliate form, peony vine motif, and intricate lattice border—originally derived from Goryeo-period decorative arts—are exquisitely reinterpreted through the refined craftsmanship of early Joseon artisans.
