Hat Box

Korea

19th century

Wood, lacquer, abalone shell, metal

Minneapolis Institute of Art

An octagonal wooden box is covered in iridescent mother-of-pearl mosaic pieces and features a metal latch closure on the front. This hat box, entirely encrusted with pieces of abalone shell, was used to store a man’s inner hat, or tanggeon. Korean craftspeople used a special technique to create such objects. First a wooden box was coated with several layers of lacquer, onto which pieces of abalone shell were affixed. They then continued to coat the box with lacquer until the shell was completely covered. After the lacquer dried, they laboriously polished the surface with charcoal until the iridescent shell was revealed. Typical of Korean style, the mother-of-pearl is broken and reassembled in the manner seen here. Gallery Not on View Gift of Will-Bes Dominic