Korean mother-of-pearl lacquerware exhibition draws 16,000 visitors overseas

Oct 28, 2026

An exhibition exploring the intricate designs and techniques behind Korea’s mother-of-pearl lacquerware has drawn more than 16,000 visitors during a two-year international tour across the United States, Canada and Japan, introducing audiences abroad to a traditional craft shaped by generations of artisans. The Seoul Museum of Craft Art said Wednesday that its special exhibition, “The Design Room of Najeon Masters,” concluded its overseas run Saturday after stops in Los Angeles, Ottawa, Tokyo and Osaka in 2025 and 2026. The exhibition attracted 7,556 visitors in North America and 8,427 in Japan, according to the museum, with more than 90 percent of respondents to visitor satisfaction surveys describing it as an opportunity to discover the beauty and depth of Korean traditional crafts. The exhibition examines "najeonchilgi," the Korean art of decorating lacquerware with thin pieces of iridescent mother-of-pearl, through designs, tools and finished works by six modern and contemporary masters: Jeon Seong-gyu, Kim Bong-ryong, Song Ju-an, Sim Bu-gil, Min Jong-tae and Kim Tae-hee. Origin

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