The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of July 8, 2026

A black lacquer table features a wavy, six-lobed top inlaid with iridescent abalone shell fragments. Small geometric shapes form patterned borders around a central field of scattered pieces. Below, a tiered frame with horizontal slots rests on six curved legs that flare outward and curl inward at the feet. Red lacquer coats the interior of decorative cutouts along the scalloped underside, contrasting with the dark surface and shimmering shell inlay.

Hexafoil-Shaped Table with Mother-of-Pearl Inlay

late 1400s–early 1500s

Korea, Joseon dynasty

(1392–1910)
Inlaid abalone shells on black lacquer ground, applied with red lacquer on the interior
42.5 x 26.4 x 20.6 cm (16 3/4 x 10 3/8 x 8 1/8 in.)
Sundry Art - Miscellaneous Fund 2026.4
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

The use of inlaid twisted brass wires in this mother-of-pearl lacquer table was first introduced in the twelfth century and is believed to have been employed in high-quality lacquerware through the end of the fifteenth century.

Description

This low table showcases intricate mother-of-pearl and twisted brass-wire inlay forming chrysanthemum scrolls and floral lattices against black lacquer. As one of the few surviving early Joseon lacquer works employing the rare brass-wire technique, it reflects refined craftsmanship made for elite patrons. Likely used in Buddhist offering ceremonies, it would have supported precious ritual objects such as rolls of sutras or miniature Buddhist statuary.
  • ?–2022
    Private Collection, Japan
    March 22, 2022
    (Christie's, New York, NY, March 22, 2022 sale, Japanese and Korean Art Including the Collection of David and Nayda Utterberg, Lot no. 274)
    2022–2025
    Private Collection, Seoul, South Korea, consigned to MyArt Auction
    2025–2026
    (MyArt Auction, Seoul, South Korea, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)
    2026–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Hwang, Chi-hyŏn 황 지현 and Sadamu Kawada 河 田貞. Korean Lacquerware Inlaid with Mother-of-Pearl: The Everlasting Beauty. First edition. Seoul: National Museum of Korea, 2010.
    Korean Lacquer Art: Aesthetic Perfection. Münster, Munich: Museum für Lackkunst; Hirmer Verlag, 2012.
  • {{cite web|title=Hexafoil-Shaped Table with Mother-of-Pearl Inlay|url=false|author=|year=late 1400s–early 1500s|access-date=08 July 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2026.4